unesco

IPC participated in the WPFD (World Press Freedom Day ) in Finland

/ May 4, 2016

International Press Centre (IPC), represented by IPC’s Director Lanre Arogundade attended the UNESCO’s annual World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), that took place in Finland, Helsinki. The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression as revered under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991. UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Created in 1997, the prize is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals. Names are submitted by regional and international non-governmental organizations working for press freedom, and by UNESCO member states. The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogotá, on 17 December 1986. Cano’s writings had offended Colombia’s powerful drug barons. UNESCO also marks World Press Freedom Day each year by bringing together media professionals, press freedom organizations and UN agencies to assess the state of press freedom worldwide and discuss solutions for addressing challenges. Each conference is centered on a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity and the role of media in post-conflict countries. The 2016 World Press Freedom Day celebration is held in Finland Helsinki, Finland with the theme “Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms” on May 1–4. Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist from Azerbaijan, was chosen to receive the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Ismayilova was yesterday night awarded UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2016 at an event attended by over 1000 journalists in Finladia hall, Helsinki, Finland. She was not able to attend in person as she is serving a jail term following her investigative reports on corruption by the Azerbaijan president and his family. The award was received from the President of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2016 Jury by her mother Ms. Ismayilova. Ms Ismayilova, a freelance journalist and contributor to the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe, was detained in December 2014, and, in September 2015, was sentenced to seven and a half years’ imprisonment on charges relating to abuse of power and tax evasion. The Prize was awarded during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, hosted by Finland this year. Created by UNESCO’s Executive Board in 1997, the annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize honours a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and, or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, and especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. The $25,000 Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogotá, on 17 December 1986. It is funded by the Cano Foundation (Colombia) and the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Finland).

Media News

Safety of journalists tops agenda at UNESCO meeting

/ February 22, 2016

NUJ President, Odusile OWING to the increasing danger that media professionals encounter in the course of bringing news and information to the public, news organisations around the world have been urged to step up safety measures. At the February 5, 2016 conference at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, about 300 media leaders shared ideas on how to enhance the safety of journalists and end impunity for attacks on them. President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhaji Abdulwaheed Odusile represented the country at the one-day conference with the theme, News Organisations Standing up for Safety of Media Professionals. The concrete actions news organizations can take include: adopting safety protocols for newsrooms, taking advantage of safety training provided by NGOs, conducting risk analysis, and supporting freelancers. Other ideas raised were the use of mobile apps for journalists to report attacks, and coverage to raise awareness and show solidarity. The Paris conference, which also involved dialogue with UNESCO Member States representatives, witnessed active participation of media leaders, unions and social media. It helped strengthen the media as a key actor in providing safety for journalists and tackling impunity. Participants at the Paris meeting also highlighted the importance of strengthening solidarity between media, from local and community radio to mainstream media. “One of the important points of the conference is that we saw that the whole world was supporting us,” said Jesus Dureza, Publisher of the Mindanao Times and President of the Association of the media owners of Philippines (PPI). “ And you can’t underestimate the importance of this feeling.” A smaller follow-up meeting on 6 February gathered 25 participants from the conference who explored additional steps such as setting up national mechanisms to monitor and report on safety and impunity. It also gave further attention to the status of freelancers in dangerous areas and improve their safety and protection, with bodies such as the Global Safety Principles and Practices for Freelancers developed by the ACOS (A Culture of Safety) alliance. During the 5 February conference, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, stressed in her remarks the importance of “building broad base co-operation, to enhance safety of journalists and end impunity” in the framework of the UN Plan of Action of Safety of Journalists. The Director General also announced that she “agreed on the importance of the proposal for a special representative on journalist safety, within the Office of the United Nations Secretary General”. Amongst the participants were senior representatives of The Associated Press; the Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Thomson Reuters, France Media Monde, Deutsche Welle, Al Jazeera, European Broadcast Union, Prisa, AMARC and the Inter-American Press Association. Sessions were moderated by Chanel 4’s Siobhan Sinnerton, BBC’s Zeinab Badawi, and CNN’s Christiane Amanpour who is also UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression and Journalist Safety. Jim Boumelha of the International Federation of Journalists called for greater action by governments and the UN to protect journalists, while Erik Bjerager, of the World Editors Forum, said the media itself could do much more. President of RAI, Monica Maggioni highlighted that the nature of conflict is changing and it is becoming more dangerous for media companies to decide to send their reporters to report from the battlefield, since some extremists “consider journalists to be an instrument in war”. Doug Jehl, foreign editor at The Washington Post reiterated that journalists are being persecuted, not only because of what they write but what they represent. Director General of Swedish Radio and Mustafa Souag, acting Director-General of Al Jazeera, Cilla Benkö reiterated that democracy needs journalists to be alive, but that in recent years they observe that the number of attacks is growing. Veran Matic from Serbia’s B94 pointed out that the morale of the professional community suffers if the murder of fellow colleagues is not solved. Deputy editor-in-chief of Russia’s Sputnik news agency, Pavel Andreev said: “The problem starts with the newsroom. Unless we start reporting on these issues ourselves nobody will pick it up for us. There is an issue of selective reporting – we cannot allow ourselves to report one death but not others. We have to cover all killings and wrongdoings against journalists no matter where, leave aside double standards. We have to stop talking about journalists deceased in the line of duty as martyrs but as heroes.” Deputy Director General of UNESCO, Getachew Engida said in his closing remarks: “Governments must do more. The UN must do more. Civil society must do more. And the media industry must do more.” UNESCO’s Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development, Guy Berger spoke of the symbiotic relationship between press freedom and safety of journalists. The conference was organized under the auspices of UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication, and supported by six media groupings, a foundation and six Member States.

Media News, News

Journalist Seeks Justice Over Illegal Detention By General

/ June 17, 2015

Leadership, Tuesday June 16, 2015 By Onukogu Kanayochuqu Jubal A journalist with the Abuja-based frequency modulation station, Aso FM, Jide Abdulazeez, has asked the chief of army staff to intervene in his situation and get him justice, after he was illegally arrested, intimidated, detained and had his mobile devices seized by the junior officers attached to an army general on June 1, 2015. Abdulazeez, who visited the corporate headquarters of LEADERSHIP Newspapers Group yesterday to disclose his ordeal in the hands of the army officers, narrated that the incident occurred at about 8:30am of the said day. “While I was driving along the Kubwa-Gwarinpa Expressway, there was traffic hold-up which made some motorists drive against oncoming vehicles on the lane. As a special marshal, I put on my special marshal jacket, got out of my vehicle and went to restore normalcy. “Suddenly, I saw a convoy of army vehicles on this same lane which I had managed to clear and took my iPad to take photos, just to have evidence if any accident occurred. Suddenly, the convoy stopped and a soldier hopped out. He took the iPad away forcefully, got back into the vehicle and drove off. “I followed them back to the office of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) in Garki II and when they asked, I told them that I was motivated by the president’s directive that no one should drive against traffic. “Captains Ogunbunmi and Sanni made me write a statement. Thereafter, I was blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination, where I spent the night. I answered every question which they asked and even informed them that I was a journalist, but they kept me. They deleted the pictures I took and even threatened that I would be sent to Maiduguri and labelled a Boko Haram informant”, he narrated. Abdulazeez disclosed that the next morning, he was driven to the office of the Department of State Services (DSS) and made to write another lengthy statement. He said he was detained for a few more hours, until 3:45pm when he was bailed by a civil servant. In the letter copied to the president’s chief of staff, the director-general of the DSS, the country representative of Amnesty International Nigeria, the executive secretary of the National Human Rights Commission and a number of other people, Abdulazeez demanded justice. “I was accused of being a member of the Boko Haram; that was not only absurd, it is also capable of damaging my image and reputation as an on-air personality which I have built for years. “Also, since my mobile devices – iPad and phones – were seized, I have been rendered incommunicado. This has affected my private and public lives,” he said.