5. The region is lagging behind in the use of technology and AI to combat mis- and disinformation. There are many challenges obstructing progress in this regard, despite the increasing importance of AI in the Arab world. 6. Despite great efforts made in the academic world, there is still a huge need to produce more studies and publications in Arabic with a focus on analyzing information disorder in the region. Based on our findings, ARIJ and the AFCN recommend that greater attention be paid to the following: 1. More support, funding, and training must be provided to fact-checking platforms, organizations, and initiatives in the region to expand their efforts, activities, and projects. They would then be able to contribute more significantly towards refuting mis- and disinformation disseminated through the media and social networking sites. 2. Pre-publication fact-checking units must be established within large and small Arab media organizations, especially independent ones. This would reduce the possibility of these organizations publishing false and misleading content. 3. The concept of media literacy should be promoted more widely in all countries of the region, and the various ministries of education must view this as a priority. Serious work should be done to include this concept in curricula, because of the great role it can play in educating young people and students on how to understand and evaluate media content, verify information before circulating it, and other basic skills. 4. Arab governments and official entities should prioritize combating mis- and disinformation by launching national policies and providing more support and funding. It will be hard to achieve positive results without the adoption and implementation of legislation on the right to access information. In addition, transparency in official administrations must be enhanced and complete data and information must be published for the public to access. 5. Legislation that criminalizes the circulation of false news should be amended, and no special laws to this effect should be enacted. This should be done in tandem with the protection of the freedom of opinion, of expression, and of the press. Civil-law solutions, rather than criminal-law I N FO R M ATI O N D I SO R D ER IN THE GLOBA L SOUTH measures, must be found to combat information disorder. 6. The media and the entities combating information disorder should pay sufficient attention to the use of technology and AI and should develop tools that help to verify and evaluate Arabic content in order to save time and costs. 7. More studies and manuals with a focus on analyzing information disorder in the region, its manifestations, its causes, and those benefiting from it should be published in Arabic. It is difficult to combat information disorder without a clear and complete understanding of the issue. It is also important to conduct studies that analyze and evaluate the efforts of the entities active in combating mis- and disinformation, the viability of these responses, and the extent of their impact on societies. 8. Enhancing the efforts of civil society and considering the issue of combating information disorder in the region should be a participatory issue that involves the state, society, civil society organizations, global organizations, academia, and the technology sector. Arab governments and official entities should prioritize combating mis- and disinformation by launching national policies and providing more support and funding. It will be hard to achieve positive results without the adoption and implementation of legislation on the right to access information. In addition, transparency in official administrations must be enhanced and complete data and information must be published for the public to access. Middle East and North Africa – 6 0