ABOUT THE ORGANIZER: Kurdish Media Watchdog (CHMK)
The Kurdish Media Watchdog (CHMK) is an independent, non-governmental, and non-profit media support organization established in November 2017 by a distinguished group of Kurdish academic leaders, professional journalists and civil activists. Grounded in international democratic principles, freedom of expression, and the ethical codes of the International Federation of Journalists, CHMK is dedicated to elevating the structural integrity, professionalism, and accountability of the contemporary Kurdish media landscape. At its core, CHMK acts as a vital bridge between rigorous academic research and frontline journalistic practice. The organization fulfills its mission through a multi-faceted operational approach:
- Systematic Media Monitoring: Observing and reporting on professional standard violations across print, broadcast, and convergent digital media content.
- Empirical Research & Surveys: Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating up-to-date, baseline data regarding the media environment in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and the broader state of Iraq.
- Capacity Building: Designing and implementing advanced training programs that instill professional standards, legal literacy, and journalistic ethics in emerging writers, reporters, and media practitioners.
- Scholarly Publishing: Producing high-impact academic books, research reports, and peer-reviewed outputs, including our specialized publication, Dergawan (Gatekeeper) Magazine, to cultivate a deeply informed public sphere.
THE CATALYST FOR CHANGE: The CHMK National Forums for Media Reform
As part of its strategic evolution to address the complex challenges of platformization, algorithmic governance, and rapid digitalization, CHMK established its flagship event series: The National Forums for Media Reform. Rather than treating media reform as an isolated industry discussion, CHMK utilizes these high-level forums to construct an international, cross-disciplinary coalition. The forums serve as CHMK’s primary vehicle for practical policy engineering, bringing together prominent global scholars, legal experts, policy architects, and practitioners to address structural vulnerabilities in post-conflict and transitional societies.
By anchoring international debates around real-world case studies, such as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the CHMK National Forums act as the live collaborative workshop where academic diplomacy transforms into actionable statutory blueprints. It is through this vital forum series that CHMK is currently spearheading the development of the historic 10-Year Strategic Policy Roadmap (2026–2036), establishing modern, democratic, and technologically resilient standards for the next generation of global journalism.
To learn more about our ongoing research, monitoring projects, and institutional publications, please visit our main repository at www.chmk.org.
Forum Framework & Venue Configuration
To ensure the highest standards of technological integration, acoustic precision, and coordinated engagement among our international participants, all scientific sessions, keynote addresses, and policy roundtables will be held exclusively within the Main Cinema Hall at SOAS University of London. This arrangement reflects the forum’s commitment to delivering a seamless, immersive experience for delegates, presenters, and observers alike. This booklet is the definitive reference for all forum participants. The scientific programme is organised around the Three Integrity Walls framework, as introduced by Forum General Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Shwan Adam Aivas. This framework offers a clear, structured approach to media sector transformation by separating reform into three complementary pillars:
- The First Wall on Statutory Reform: Reviewing and updating the legislative foundations that govern media operation and regulation.
- The Second Wall on Technical and Infrastructure Resilience: Addressing the engineering and digital systems that underpin modern broadcasting and journalism.
- The Third Wall on Professional and Ethical Code Execution: Embedding robust standards of journalistic conduct, editorial independence, and public accountability.
The Three Integrity Walls provide the intellectual architecture of this forum, guiding our collective inquiry from statutory reform and technical resilience through to the professional and ethical standards that sustain a genuinely independent media.
FORUM MISSION & CORE OBJECTIVES
The Third CHMK National Forum serves as a high-level scholarly and policy platform, bringing together academics, practitioners, legislators, and civil society representatives from across Kurdistan, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, the United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, and beyond. Its primary purpose is to synthesise a multi-sectoral Strategic Policy Roadmap for media reform in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), with a view to aligning local governance frameworks with internationally recognised human rights and media freedom benchmarks.
- POLICY ANALYSIS: Examine the structural challenges facing media reform in post-conflict societies, with particular focus on the Kurdistan Region.
- INSTITUTIONAL ENGAGEMENT: Evaluate the responsibilities and capacities of KRI legislative, executive, and judicial institutions in advancing meaningful reform.
- LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS: Develop concrete, evidence-based proposals to consolidate and modernise the region’s fragmented media legislation.
- THE LONDON DECLARATION: Formalise and publish a Media Reform Roadmap for 2026–2036, to be submitted to the KRG Council of Ministers and partner institutions.