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The WAVES Declaration, adopted during the Global Media Dialogue (2025) at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit, marks a significant commitment from participating nations to fostering cultural diversity and responsible media innovation in an increasingly interconnected world. The declaration's emphasis on bridging the digital divide, promoting ethical media practices, and ensuring inclusive content creation underscores a proactive approach to leveraging the power of media and entertainment for global harmony and understanding. The recognition of the sector's vital role in these endeavors is paramount, especially in light of the challenges posed by misinformation, disinformation, and the rapid evolution of digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence. The declaration’s commitment extends beyond mere acknowledgment; it pledges concrete actions to reduce bias, democratize content creation, preserve cultural heritage, and foster fair and innovative markets. This holistic approach recognizes the interconnectedness of these elements in shaping a media landscape that is both culturally rich and ethically sound. A key outcome of the Dialogue was the consensus on facilitating global collaboration to strengthen creativity, innovation, and cross-cultural understanding. This emphasis on collaboration is critical, as the challenges and opportunities in the media and entertainment sector transcend national borders. By fostering partnerships between governments, creators, and technology providers, the declaration aims to create a more resilient and inclusive media ecosystem. The declaration underscores the responsibility of governments in fostering peace and dialogue in a rapidly globalizing media landscape. This acknowledgement of governmental responsibility is particularly important in ensuring that media policies and regulations support the goals of cultural pluralism and responsible innovation. Governments play a crucial role in creating an enabling environment for media organizations to thrive while upholding ethical standards and promoting inclusivity. The call for fostering more people-to-people, culture-to-culture, and country-to-country exchanges through media and entertainment highlights the declaration’s vision of a world where media serves as a bridge between different communities. By championing media as a medium for dialogue, the declaration seeks to break down barriers, foster mutual understanding, and promote peaceful coexistence. The emphasis on promoting diverse voices, building institutional capacity, and advancing inclusion in media ecosystems is crucial for ensuring that the benefits of media and entertainment are shared by all. The declaration recognizes that a truly inclusive media landscape must reflect the diversity of its audience and provide opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to participate in content creation and distribution. The concerns raised by several member states regarding the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation underscore the urgent need for greater emphasis on responsible journalism. The declaration's response, calling for collaborative measures to promote media integrity, fact-based reporting, and ethical advertising, reflects a commitment to combating the spread of false information and upholding the credibility of the media. These collaborative measures will require concerted efforts from governments, media organizations, and technology platforms to develop and implement effective strategies for identifying and combating misinformation. The declaration’s support for content that respects human rights and cultural sensitivities is essential for ensuring that media and entertainment contribute to a more just and equitable world. By encouraging creators and audiences to consider the social and ethical impact of their actions, the declaration promotes a culture of responsible content creation and consumption. This emphasis on ethical considerations is particularly important in the digital age, where the lines between creators and audiences are increasingly blurred. The reaffirmation of support for intellectual property protection while encouraging open markets and innovation reflects a balanced approach to fostering creativity and economic growth. Intellectual property protection is essential for incentivizing creators to produce high-quality content, while open markets and innovation ensure that this content is accessible to a wide audience. The declaration acknowledges the exceptional power of media and entertainment to unite people and deepen resilience in interconnected markets, particularly in the context of heightened uncertainty and the aftermath of a devastating pandemic. This recognition of the transformative potential of media and entertainment is at the heart of the declaration’s vision for a more peaceful and prosperous world. By harnessing the power of media to connect people, share stories, and promote understanding, the declaration aims to build stronger communities and foster greater resilience in the face of global challenges. Member countries’ reiteration of their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on inclusive growth, institutional strengthening, and enduring partnerships to promote peace and prosperity, underscores the declaration’s alignment with the broader global agenda for sustainable development. The declaration recognizes that media and entertainment have a crucial role to play in achieving the SDGs, particularly in promoting education, gender equality, and sustainable consumption patterns. The support for enhancing choice, access, and affordability in media consumption to address the digital divide, along with creating jobs and sustaining open, inclusive spaces for creativity and cultural expression, reflects a commitment to ensuring that the benefits of media and entertainment are available to all, regardless of their socioeconomic status or geographic location. Addressing the Dialogue, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar described WAVES 2025 as a “microcosm of the global community,” bringing together creators, policymakers, producers, and visual artists to chart a roadmap for the sector’s future. He noted that the evolving world order had a strong cultural component and emphasized the importance of giving voice to traditions, heritage, ideas, practices, and creativity. Mr. Jaishankar's remarks highlight the significance of cultural exchange and the role of media in shaping global narratives. By recognizing the cultural dimension of the evolving world order, he underscores the need for media to reflect the diversity of human experience and to promote intercultural understanding. His emphasis on giving voice to traditions, heritage, ideas, practices, and creativity reflects a commitment to preserving cultural identity and fostering a sense of shared humanity. Emphasizing the synergy between technology and tradition, Mr. Jaishankar said technology could amplify awareness of heritage, particularly among the youth. He stressed the importance of preparing young talent for an age of creative collaboration through targeted skill development, noting that innovation is the key to realizing Viksit Bharat. Mr. Jaishankar's perspective highlights the potential of technology to bridge the gap between generations and to promote cultural awareness among young people. By emphasizing the importance of targeted skill development, he underscores the need to equip young talent with the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive in the digital age. His observation that innovation is the key to realizing Viksit Bharat underscores the role of creativity and technological advancement in driving economic growth and social progress. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, in his opening remarks, observed that culture was the foundation of creativity and played a unifying role across borders. He emphasized the importance of incentivizing local content creation. Mr. Vaishnaw's remarks highlight the fundamental role of culture in fostering creativity and promoting unity. By emphasizing the importance of incentivizing local content creation, he underscores the need to support diverse voices and perspectives within the media landscape. Welcoming delegates from 77 countries, Mr. Vaishnaw emphasized the importance of co-production treaties, joint funding mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks that promote collaboration, digital inclusion, and global harmony. He called for measures to promote collaboration, digital inclusion, and global harmony, highlighting the importance of creating a level playing field for media organizations from different countries. He advocated for regulatory frameworks that support innovation while ensuring ethical standards and promoting diversity. India's sharing of progress on its ‘Create in India’ initiative, informing participating nations that 32 creative challenges held during the first season of WAVES had identified over 700 top creators worldwide, demonstrates a commitment to fostering creative talent and promoting cultural exchange. The expansion of these challenges to 25 global languages from the next edition further underscores this commitment.
The WAVES Declaration's articulation of principles and its commitment to collaborative action provide a framework for building a more responsible, inclusive, and culturally rich media landscape. Its success will depend on the continued engagement of governments, media organizations, technology providers, and individuals in upholding its principles and implementing its recommendations. The declaration's focus on ethical considerations, responsible journalism, and the promotion of cultural diversity is particularly timely in an era of rapid technological change and increasing global interconnectedness. By embracing the values enshrined in the WAVES Declaration, the global community can harness the power of media and entertainment to build a more peaceful, prosperous, and equitable world for all.
In conclusion, the WAVES Declaration represents a significant step towards creating a global media ecosystem that values cultural pluralism, responsible innovation, and ethical practices. Its emphasis on collaboration, inclusivity, and the promotion of diverse voices sets a precedent for future initiatives aimed at shaping the media landscape. As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of misinformation, disinformation, and the digital divide, the WAVES Declaration provides a valuable framework for navigating these complexities and building a more just and equitable media environment.
Source: WAVES Declaration adopted to promote cultural pluralism and responsible media innovation