Sign form below

• PREAMBLE

Based on our commitment to upholding the principles of justice and integrity for the Iraqi elections in 2021 and the subsequent period of government formation, we – a group of civil society organisations and actors – launch this declaration in an effort to secure a fair and safe cyberspace for all members of Iraqi society.

We are increasingly concerned about the risk of social media contributing to political tensions. We call on political parties, government bodies and independent candidates participating in elections, as well as civil society, NGOs, media houses, social media platforms and individuals to support this declaration and to share it widely.

This declaration is the result of a participatory process, involving consultations with key actors to identify the main risks posed by social media to Iraqi elections and beyond.

Purpose 

The declaration aims to increase confidence in the electoral process and period of government formation by:

• Monitoring the content of social media platforms and detecting incidences of social media content and behaviour that threaten to disrupt the political process;
• Achieving fair competition between candidates and political parties through their fulfillment of the commitments of this declaration (see Commitments section).
• Minimising the exacerbation of social tensions through social media by obtaining a pledge from the greatest number of individuals, influencers, activists, candidates, parties, government bodies and civil society institutions,  to exercise restraint  on social media platforms;
• Raising awareness of the threats posed by social media to Iraq’s political process among the general public.

• Basic Principles

We call on election candidates, Political Parties, activists, civil society organisations, social media influencers, media companies, government bodies and social media platforms, to uphold the following basic principles of the declaration:

• Sincerity of publishing and equal access to information, as a basis for free, fair and credible elections;
• Transparency throughout the entire electoral cycle and period of government formation, particularly regarding political campaigns on social media;
• Respect for and guarantee the basic rights of individuals. In particular 1) freedom of opinion for each individual, including criticism in politics; 2) access to information without barriers;
• Non-discrimination and inclusivity in all forms of communication on social media, including respect for the diversity of races, religions, ethnicities and cultures of the Iraqi people.

• Group Commitments

More specifically, we call on all parties listed below to uphold the following commitments in order to minimize risks on social media in the 2021 elections campaign and during the period of government formation:

Candidates, political parties and campaign teams:

• Conduct fact-checking and due diligence to ensure that reports, statements and public content on social media are as accurate as possible.
• Only share or disseminate information whose sources they know or believe. Provide clear data sources, references, and footnotes on content created.
• Only use official accounts on social media.
• When engaging in disagreements between candidates, uphold standards of ethics and respect in language and tone by using positive and constructive language and criticism, without resorting to generalizations about certain groups.
• Disclose expenditures incurred for advertising and campaign content on social media.
• Promote healthy, positive and inclusive content with respect for the rights of women, children, disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
• Refrain from harassment of other candidates on social media. This would include interfering in candidates’ personal lives, or publishing fabricated pictures of them to discredit them. Refrain from publishing or disseminating any form of hate speech against another candidate or against a political party on social media.
• Refrain from using social media in an attempt to deliberately manipulate the vote or gain political support, including through the use of fictitious accounts, or electronic armies.

Social media platforms:

• Enforce existing policies against harmful content and behaviour to the fullest extent in Iraq during the period of the election campaign and government formation process, paying particular attention to hate speech, misinformation and inauthentic behaviour.
• Support actors promoting positive content around the elections and facilitate the monitoring of this agreement.
• Act quickly on reports of harmful content through trusted partners
• Continuous and public awareness-raising regarding the platforms’ policies about elections, content moderation, etc. in a transparent manner.
• Continuing to submit the transparency report issued by some social media platforms in a transparent, impartial, detailed and accurate manner.

Civil society organisations, activists and influencers: 

• Support this declaration wholeheartedly, including by encouraging candidates and political parties to fulfil the commitments listed above, and proactively supporting those that uphold them.
• Provide constructive criticism for Candidates and Political Parties that have not fulfilled the above commitments e.g. by supporting the monitoring body and reporting violations to them, through the dedicated email address: Report@insm-iq.org
• Refrain from harassment of candidates on social media. This includes interfering with candidates’ personal lives or publishing fabricated pictures of them to discredit them. Ensure that the criticism of candidates published on social media is constructive, focusing on their political behavior rather than on personal traits.
• Ensure the production, distribution and consumption of content about the elections and government formation process that is child-friendly, guarantees women’s rights and ensures that there is no discrimination, harassment or violence online, including with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Media:

• When criticizing parties, political candidates or campaign teams, do so in an independent, neutral and objective manner.
• Uphold the highest standards of fact-checking when disseminating content on social media.
• Ensure that content disseminated on social media is child-friendly, guarantees women’s rights and ensures that there is no discrimination, harassment or violence online, including with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Commission of Media and Communications (CMC) and Ministry of Telecommunications: 

• Refrain from any attempt to disrupt the Internet or cut it off on election day.
• Support freedom of expression on the Internet, including constructive criticism and all forms of freedom of expression.

Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC):

• Make a comprehensive and collaborative effort to disseminate information related to the 2021 elections on social media, including voter educational materials, press releases, public announcements, election results, and other relevant information.

Individuals:

• Avoid creating or using multiple social media accounts to disseminate materials in a deceptive manner.
• Avoid using social media to harass candidates or others involved in the political process. This includes interfering in candidates’ personal lives, or publishing fabricated pictures of them to discredit them. When criticising candidates or parties on social media, use constructive criticism without resorting to generalisations about groups.
• Avoid publishing or disseminating any form of hate speech.
• Promote healthy, positive and inclusive content on social media which demonstrates respect for the rights of women, children, disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
• Report breaches of the code made by other parties to the monitoring team, via the dedicated email address: report@insm-iq.org

• Monitoring Mechanism

• An independent monitoring body will be set up to monitor the extent to which this declaration is adhered to. The monitors will observe the use of social media by key actors in the run up to and aftermath of elections and present their findings to key stakeholders. This will serve to address instances of major violations of the declaration and raise awareness of the extent of these issues in Iraq.
• Violation reports are submitted in detail and supported by evidence to the Monitoring and Follow-up Authority via e-mail report@insm-iq.org, while maintaining the privacy of the identity of the observer.

To submit comments or suggestions on this digital declaration, please email the INSM Foundation for Digital Rights info@insm-iq.org

Sign NOW