Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
Underscoring the importance of information integrity in the era of individual content creators and algorithms, a closed, high-level diplomatic session held under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on 8th December, the first day of the BRIDGE Summit 2025 in Abu Dhabi, deliberated upon shared concerns, identified areas of alignment, and charted the outlines of what could be a cooperative framework capable of renewing trust and strengthening democratic and societal resilience in information flow.
The session, which brought together an elite group of leaders, policymakers, and international experts representing government institutions, global organisations, media entities, and leading technology companies, examined the future of information integrity in a world where technological acceleration and digital influence are deeply intertwined with political and economic decision-making.
The rationale for the hour-long conversation titled “Alliances for Legitimacy and Integrity in Global Narratives” was the shifting information order, erosion of institutional trust, new forms of influence and manipulation such as fabricated media or online communities.
Chaired by Adeline Hulin, UNESCO chief of unit for Media Literacy, and Christopher Isham, President of CT Group’s US Intelligence Practice, the round table had the weighty observations of Macky Sall, former President of Senegal on governance stability and Global South perspective; Noura Al Kaabi from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs on cultural diplomacy; Abdulla bin Mohammed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman, BRIDGE Alliance on media governance; Sir Oliver Dowden, Former Deputy Prime Minister of U.K. on policy insight and democratic resilience; Peter Kerstens of the European Commission on digital standards and regulatory clarity; Caro Kriel of Thomson Foundation on independent media resilience; and Nikhil Kolar from Microsoft on content ecosystems and AI guards, among others.
Abdulla Al Hamed affirmed that the integrity of information has become the most significant challenge confronting the media and entertainment sectors today. He noted that we are living in a time when technology is advancing at extraordinary speed, narratives are being shaped faster than societies can catch their breath, and truth itself has become a battleground for competing interests.
He expressed his appreciation to UNESCO for its active participation in the Summit, emphasising that UNESCO represents the conscience of the world and the voice of ethics — an institution that, for decades, has carried the responsibility of protecting intellectual thought, safeguarding cultural diversity, and building bridges of understanding among nations. He added that UNESCO’s presence at the Summit stands as a testament that the integrity of information remains a standard that is non-negotiable.
The Chairman stated, “BRIDGE Summit was created to serve as a platform that reconnects what has been fragmented between governments, international organisations, media institutions, technology companies, experts, and content creators. The Summit’s vision for the media and entertainment sectors is founded on a simple yet profound principle: technology has no value if it does not serve humanity, and innovation has no meaning unless it is rooted in ethics.”
He added, “The UAE’s vision aligns with UNESCO’s mission. We believe that algorithms must be guided by our shared values — that modern technology must be humanised, and infused with the principles of justice, respect, and transparency, so it becomes a vehicle for knowledge rather than a tool to distort it.”
He concluded by stressing that the session provided a space for shared understanding — one that helps build intellectual resilience to protect our societies from misinformation, and paves the way for international cooperation that safeguards truth, rebuilds trust, and opens the path toward a world where narratives are shaped with a responsible spirit that places the human being above all.
The session engaged in guided interventions on real-time diplomacy, mass coordination and market impact, strategies to counter the velocity of falsehoods, reflexive loops and perception, and ‘heartware’ and human purpose to support dignity and social cohesion. “Narratives do not merely reflect events, they create them. Identifying ways to interrupt harmful reflexive loops is central to resilience,” the session underlined.
The participants hoped that the insights from the discussion would be synthesised to inform future dialogue with international organisations concerned with media development, digital literacy, and information integrity, and also contribute constructively to the global conversation in partnership with institutions already stewarding this agenda.
The roundtable session forms part of a 300+ session program that reflects BRIDGE Summit’s scale and ambition. The debut edition of BRIDGE Summit takes place from 8–10 December 2025 at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi. Expected to welcome more than 60,000 participants from 132 countries and over 430 speakers, the Summit provides a structured environment for leaders, innovators, and institutions to examine shared challenges, exchange perspectives, and explore practical collaboration across media, content, entertainment, technology, finance, culture, and the wider creative economy.
