Cairo, Egypt – 06 September 2026 – The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), the Institute of National Planning (INP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt concluded the “Addressing Misinformation and Disinformation in Egypt” initiative, which aimed to strengthen the skills of young people and media professionals to identify, verify and respond responsibly to misinformation and disinformation, thereby supporting media and digital literacy and promoting responsible digital citizenship.

As digital platforms increasingly play a growing role in producing and circulating information, misinformation and disinformation pose growing challenges to public trust, social cohesion and efforts to achieve sustainable development. Young people are particularly central to this landscape, as one of the groups that use digital platforms most actively and exert significant influence over how information is shared within their communities.

The initiative was developed through an evidence-based and participatory approach grounded in a needs assessment and consultations with several government and academic institutions, media professionals, legal experts, civil society organizations and stakeholders in the technology sector. This helped identify the main challenges and design appropriate training and awareness interventions suited to the Egyptian context.

The initiative included the development of five specialized training manuals prepared by UNDP in Egypt for youth and media professionals. Three youth manuals were developed in English, Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian colloquial Arabic, alongside two manuals for media professionals in English and Arabic, enabling their use on a wider scale and supporting the continued transfer of the knowledge and skills acquired.

The training manuals cover critical thinking, media and digital literacy, fact-checking and source verification, digital citizenship, online safety, and the ethical and legal dimensions of sharing information. They also address emerging challenges related to artificial intelligence-generated content, as well as the psychological and social factors influencing the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

Through four rounds of interactive training, the initiative trained more than 120 young people from universities and diverse backgrounds across Egypt, equipping participants with practical tools to evaluate information, identify manipulation techniques, verify content sources, and make informed decisions before resharing or circulating it online. A Training of Trainers programme was also implemented to enable youth leaders to transfer their knowledge and skills to peers and local communities, thereby strengthening the sustainability of the initiative and expanding its impact.

Mr. Gohar Nabil, Minister of Youth and Sports, said: “This initiative has helped equip more than 100 young men and women with the skills needed to identify, verify and counter misinformation and disinformation. It embodies the Ministry’s strategy to empower young people and strengthen their awareness and capacities, enabling them to participate actively in building the future.”

Prof. Dr. Ashraf El Araby, President of the Institute of National Planning, said: “The initiative reflects the Institute’s knowledge and development role and its commitment to supporting capacity-building efforts and raising awareness of development issues. Strengthening the ability of young people and media professionals to verify and analyze information is an essential requirement for engaging responsibly with the rapid changes in the digital environment.”

Prof. Dr. El Araby added: “A professional approach to information does not stop at verifying the accuracy of a news item or its source. It extends to the ability to critically interpret international reports and economic and development indicators; understand the methodologies and assumptions on which they are based, the nature of the data used to produce them and the limits of their explanatory significance; and avoid treating any indicator in isolation from its economic, social, geographical and temporal context.”

Ms. Chitose Noguchi, UNDP Resident Representative in Egypt, said: “Misinformation and disinformation erode trust, weaken institutions and affect the social fabric. Information integrity is not only a media or technology issue; it is a development issue linked to societies’ ability to access reliable information and build the trust needed to achieve progress.”

Beyond the training rooms, UNDP and the Ministry of Youth and Sports launched a national #صحصح_وصحح social media campaign to present media and digital literacy concepts to young people in a simple and interactive way. Through short-form videos, interactive challenges, polls and practical content, the campaign encouraged young people to pause, verify and think critically before sharing information online.

The campaign, which ran for 12 weeks between May and July 2025, generated approximately 6.2 million impressions, reached more than 2.05 million users and recorded 96,480 public mentions, helping to extend the reach of the initiative’s messages beyond those who participated directly in the training programmes.

The initiative contributes to several national priorities in the areas of youth empowerment, digital transformation and strengthening social cohesion, while supporting efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. By combining capacity building, the provision of knowledge and training materials, and public awareness campaigns, it strengthens society’s ability to engage with the changing digital information environment in an informed and safe manner.

The five training manuals prepared under the initiative also constitute a sustainable knowledge resource, enabling young people and media professionals to develop their skills in navigating an increasingly complex digital information environment and strengthening their capacity for verification, critical thinking and responsible digital participation.

These efforts align with the Institute of National Planning’s role in supporting capacity building, promoting economic and development awareness, and strengthening the scientific use of knowledge, data and indicators to understand national and international issues. This contributes to developing professionals capable of interpreting and analyzing emerging trends and applying them in support of sustainable development efforts.

About UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and build resilience so countries can sustain progress. In Egypt, UNDP works with the Government of Egypt and development partners to advance sustainable development, inclusive growth, climate action, digital transformation and effective governance.