Building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication in Eastern Africa.

UNESCO promotes an enabling environment for freedom of expression in order to foster development and democracy. 
Every year UNESCO sensitizes governments, public institutions and civil society to strive towards these freedoms by celebrating World Press Freedom Day.  Policy advice to develop standards and legislative instruments to defend freedom of expression and press freedom as a Human Right is also provided by the organization.

UNESCO also works towards a strengthened, free, independent and pluralistic media by supporting journalism education institutions to strive towards criteria of excellence.  A specific emphasis is also placed on reinforcing capacities of community radio and rural multimedia community centres to be sustainable and be an affective platform for democratic discourse.

Member States are also supported to empower citizens through universal access to knowledge and the preservation of information, including documentary heritage.  UNESCO continues to harness information and communication technologies for development in supporting initiatives in Information and Communication Technologies for Education and bridging the digital divide in the development of multilingualism and local content applications in cyberspace. 

In line with the renewed commitment to the goal of women’s empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality called for by the UN Review Summit 2010, UNESCO will pursue gender equality in the fields of communication and information.