Article

Media and Information Literacy highlighted during Expo 2020 Dubai

Innovation, collaboration, and inspiration, these were the three fundamental principles of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Forum and Exhibition at Expo 2020 Dubai, held on 18 March 2022. The event addressed how media and information literacy is crucial to tackling disinformation and misinformation and the attendant impact on development, democratic governance and peace.

21 March 2022

Last update:20 April 2023

More than 200 participants joined the discussions online and over 900 students and teachers engaged onsite at the United Nations Dubai Expo Hub, United Arab Emirates. Media and Information Literacy experts and practitioners from all regions of the world as well as UNESCO representatives spoke on the panel.

Participants of the Forum agreed that it’s essential to include media and information literacy in formal and informal education worldwide to make it accessible for young people and educators. Interventions should also reach elderly people as media and information literacy is for lifelong learning.

According to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer. The unprecedented world events of the last two years linked to the Covid-19 pandemic have accompanied a decline in trust in the media in general and social media in particular.

Building resilience for the futures of learning through media and information literacy involves citizens around the world in efforts to build peace. It includes fostering freedom of expression, diversity, equality, human rights and promoting intercultural dialogue and interreligious dialogue.

Tawfik JelassiUNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information

Now it’s a time to make media and information literacy the driving force for inclusive peace, participatory democracy and sustainable development. Media and information literacy is an urgent need and a fundamental human right, which should be accessible for all and by all.

Drissia ChouitProfessor from Morocco’s Moulay Ismail University, member of UNESCO-UNAOC MIL and Intercultural Dialogue University Network

Estrella Luna Muñoz, a Media Arts and ICTs project manager and trainer from Mexico suggested to encompass more youth in media and information literacy actions, and in a such way contribute to qualitative information in social media: “We have to connect and work with media and information literacy. For our new generation, the difference between the 'real' world and the digital world is non-existent. That’s why youth love to use apps and we need to use apps to catch their attention.”

Jun Sakamoto, a professor from the Department of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies in Japan underlined good practices in promoting media and information literacy such as the importance to initiate meeting between students and journalists who are working on press freedom and democracy to develop their media and information literacy skills.

We have also conducted classes where students use smartphones to think about news writing.

Prof. Jun SakamotoDepartment of Lifelong Learning and Career Studies, Japan

Media and information literacy is a global development intervention fostered by UNESCO and partners. Its main purpose is to cultivate critical thinking, to tackle misinformation and disinformation, and to build peace. A call to the international platform for curating media and information literacy resources was issued during the Forum to which UNESCO is responding by taking a series of actions, including through the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Alliance.

UNESCO is thankful for the collaboration of the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Culture and organizers of Dubai Expo 2020 for hosting and promoting this event. UNESCO is also grateful members of the UNESCO-UNAOC Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue University Network for the continued cooperation.

Join the UNESCO MIL CLICKS social media initiative to continue the dialogue online.

To learn more about UNESCO’s actions on media and information literacy, visit .