Forward Thinking Attend 2nd Shusha Global Media Forum, Azerbaijan, 20-22 July 2024

Oliver McTernan and Jordan Morgan attended the 2nd Global Media Forum in Shusha, Azerbaijan. The forum was entitled ‘Exposing False News: Combating Disinformation’ and was attended by more than 150 participants from 50 countries. The aim of the forum was to build a better understanding of the challenges of mis/disinformation, artificial intelligence in the media, in addition to, climate related issues.

The Vice President of Azerbaijan Mr. Hikmet Hajiyev officially opened the Forum and participants had the opportunity to discuss a number of issues with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

We met with Nigar Arpadarai, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP29 and Member of the Azerbaijan National Assembly. Nigar is a member of our Women for a Sustainable Future network. 

Jordan asked President Aliyev to explain ‘the Azerbaijani position on how best to seek a permanent ceasefire in Gaza?’. In response, the President said that the Azerbaijani ‘position is absolutely clear’ stating, ‘we have already publicly announced several times that this confrontation should stop as soon as possible. For many years, we have provided political and economic support to Palestine. We support their aspirations to have an independent state, and the two-state solution is the only way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, with the capital in “Shargi Quds”, as we call it, Eastern Jerusalem. This position has been articulated by us and demonstrated through our voting in the United Nations, the Islamic Cooperation Organization, and many other international institutions. It is absolutely stable and straightforward. The conflict should stop immediately, and we are aware of the different attempts to mediate. We never try to be mediator anywhere when we are not invited. If we are invited, of course, we will play our role. But I think that here, the Arab League should be more vocal and active. First of all, this is my position as President. It is an issue that the Arab League, as an institution, should address more than any other country due to objective reasons’.

The conference offered an important space to discuss regional challenges and opportunities.