The Scientific Forum on ” Security Media during Crises and Catastrophies,” held by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the participation of a group of experts and researchers, issued at the conclusion of its activities a set of important practical recommendations to strengthen partnership and cooperation between Countries of the Islamic world in addressing crises and catastrophies, promoting the use of modern technology in the service of media and developing a methodology and a common media protocol for managing crises and disasters.

The participants at the Forum, which was held at ICESCO Headquarters in Rabat and via videoconference from March 16, to March 18, 2022, stressed the importance of benefiting from successful experiences in directing the media to reduce and limit rumors and false news during crises and supporting and qualifying media officials through training to produce the appropriate content.

The Forum’s recommendations touched upon the importance of training security personnel on information and communication technologies, given their active and proactive role in reducing the risks of crises and disasters, and taking advantage of modern technologies such as space technologies, artificial intelligence applications, big data and algorithms in all stages of managing crisis and catastrophies.

The opening session of the Forum saw the participation of Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO, and Dr. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Harfash, Vice President for External Relations at NAUSS, followed by sessions in which researchers and academicians discussed several themes, mainly, the role of security media in crisis and disaster management, cooperation mechanisms in the field of security media, as well as a review of applied models and successful experiences of the role of security media in facing catastrophies.

The second day of the Forum included two scientific sessions in which participants explored the role of communication and information technologies in the prevention of natural catastrophies, mainly the importance of security media in addressing crises, the role of smart technology in managing risks and catastrophies, building resilient societies, early warning of earthquakes and media crisis management as well as remote sensing techniques in preventing or mitigating catastrophies.

The Forum participants visited the National Geophysics Institute of the National Center for Scientific and Technical Research in the Kingdom of Morocco, which is in charge of earthquake monitoring and early warning.