Towards Democracy in Iraq

This work is an attempt to provide a concise and comprehensive overview of human rights institutions, standards and procedures, presented in a single publication.

World Press Freedom Day 2004 (3 May, Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro) - Support to Media in Violent Conflict and Countries in Transition

World Press Freedom Day 2005 (3 may, Dakar, Senegal) - Media and Good Governance

The right to freedom of information, commonly understood as the right to access information held by public bodies, is now widely recognised as a fundamental human right. This study presents (1) an overview of international basis for this right; (2) the best practice standards; (3) the analyses of the laws of 10 different countries; and (4) a comparative analysis of the various laws/policies.

The Guidelines address a number of different issues. This summary breaks these down into four categories: the duty to inform; rules regarding election coverage; protection for freedom of expression during elections; and implementation/applicability of the guidelines. The Guidelines are summarised below according to these categories.

Regularly updated folder covering the election process in Iraq

The present publication offers the user information about States’ ratifications of, accession to and succession to major human rights treaties, both universal and regional. Published annually, it shows the development of the ratification process of these normative instruments. As comments to previous editions have confirmed, this publication has proven to be useful for decision-makers, media professionals, researchers, activists and all those who are committed to human rights.

This well-established book has been revised and updated to reflect recent developments in the field of human rights. The first part responds to 113 questions on the topic. In the second part, the 30 Articles are quoted and explained, including background information and examples. The book also includes notes that give more detailed information about individual states and their position.

In May 2003, UNESCO and Sida jointly organized a seminar on ”Assistance to Media in Tension Areas and Violent Conflict.” This booklet is a compilation of the discussion papers produced for the seminar, reflecting the outcomes of the discussions.

The Media Sustainability Index (MSI) represents the contributions of more than 50 Iraqi journalists, editors, media managers, and civil society activists. The MSI is a resource for journalists, media managers, free-press advocates, policymakers, development professionals, and donors seeking to strengthen the media.

IMPACS’ Media and Elections Handbook, produced by the Media and Elections Response Centre, is the result of ongoing thinking about the seminal role that professional training for media organizations and reporters can play in emerging democracies. There is an underlying assumption present in newsrooms in both northern and southern societies that if journalists have general reporting skills, then reporting elections is much like reporting anything else.

The World Press Freedom Day in 2004 was dedicated to the theme “Support to media in violent conflict and countries in transition.” This book explores various responses to this theme, which were presented at the UNESCO-sponsored conference in Belgrade marking Press Freedom Day.

A total of 86 journalists and media assistants have been killed and 38 have been kidnapped during three years of war.

Article 19

On the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), coinciding on 3 May each year, the Iraqi press started coverage of the occasion, with two newspapers publishing, on 2 May 2007, UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura's message, namely, the independent Al-Mada newspaper, issued in Baghdad by Al-Mada Culture, Media and Arts Corporation, and the independent Al-Manarah newspaper, issued in Basra.