Türkiye, MIKTA countries condemn false, harmful narratives targeting humanitarian work

Türkiye and other members of the MIKTA grouping condemned false and harmful narratives targeting humanitarian organizations and personnel, warning that such content can incite violence and obstruct humanitarian operations.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry published a joint statement by MIKTA foreign ministers on protecting humanitarian personnel and operations from misinformation, disinformation and harmful narratives following their 30th meeting, held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

The ministers expressed deep concern over the risks posed to humanitarian personnel and operations by misinformation, disinformation and harmful narratives during armed conflicts, disasters and other complex emergencies, noting that such content erodes trust in humanitarian assistance.

They said the rapid development of digital communications, social media and artificial intelligence has enabled harmful narratives to spread at an unprecedented speed and scale.

The ministers condemned the creation, coordination and dissemination of false and harmful narratives that misrepresent humanitarian organizations and personnel, incite violence, threats or discrimination against them, or obstruct humanitarian activities, stressing that such narratives can cause real-world harm.

Reaffirming their support for UN Security Council Resolution 2730 and the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel, they called for their effective implementation.

The ministers also underlined the need to combat misinformation, disinformation and hate speech targeting humanitarian organizations, personnel and activities while countering the manipulation of information.

They said they had made the issue a policy priority to better protect humanitarian personnel and operations from all forms of harmful information, calling on all countries to “urge all parties to armed conflicts and other relevant actors to respect and protect humanitarian personnel and operations, including in the information environment.”

Highlighting that humanitarian workers save lives, the ministers called for an end to misinformation, disinformation and harmful narratives targeting their work.

They added that MIKTA members would continue working with the UN, humanitarian organizations, civil society groups and other relevant actors to advance efforts toward this goal.