A post shared on Facebook claims historian Yuval Noah Harari made a statement about free will being over on behalf of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and United Nations (UN).

Verdict: False

This claim is fabricated. Harari did not make this statement on behalf of the WEF or UN.

Fact Check: 

The UN held its first water conference on Mar. 22 in New York, pleading for countries to work together to tackle the issue of water scarcity, according to The Guardian. The UN said a quarter of the world’s population currently uses unsafe drinking water and warned of “vampiric overconsumption,” Reuters reports.

A Facebook post purports Harari said, “The era of free will is over.” The post shares a portrait of the historian and labels him a  “WEF & UN spokesperson” with the WEF logo in the bottom right corner.

There is no evidence for the claim, however. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports about Harari making such a statement. 

Check Your Fact also has previously debunked a claim suggesting Harari works for the WEF and made a statement on its behalf. Harari, however, did make a speech at a 2020 WEF summit in Davos, Switzerland.

Harari’s website mentions his WEF keynote speeches in 2018 and 2020 but does not state he holds any official position at the organization or at the UN. (RELATED: Did The World Economic Forum Announce The US Must Implement A One-Child Policy?)

Check Your Fact has reached out to the WEF for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received. 

This is not the first time a false quote has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated he will not allow former President Donald Trump to be extradited to New York for his possible indictment.