IPDC Council session begins today marking the 30th anniversary of the Programme
24-03-2010 (Paris)
IPDC Council meeting
UNESCO
The Intergovernmental Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) will meet today for its 27th session at UNESCO Headquarters, which will continue until 26 March. This year is a very significant year for the IPDC as it marks its 30 years of existence.
The agenda of the meeting includes the examination of a report on IPDC’s activities during the last biennium, a discussion on the application of UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators, and the presentation of a report by the Director-General on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity. In addition, IPDC Council is organizing a thematic debate on “Free, independent and pluralistic media: the enabling role of the State”.
The Media Development Indicators, born out of an extensive international consultation launched by the IPDC Council, are a diagnostic tool intended to be used by media professionals, policy makers, development agencies, and project managers to analyze the state of the media and identify areas where support is most required. Three case studies focusing on the application of the indicators in Mozambique, Croatia and the Maldives will be presented on the first day of the meeting.
On 25 March, a report by UNESCO’s Director-General on “The Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity” will be discussed. The discussion will involve a panel composed of three of the most important institutions specialized on freedom of expression: the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Finally, the thematic debate on “Free, independent and pluralistic media: the enabling role of the State” will look at three examples from South Africa, Uruguay and Indonesia, in which positive state interventions have helped to created an enabling environment for the development of free, independent and pluralistic media.
During the meeting, eight new members of the IPDC Bureau will be elected by the Intergovernmental Council which comprises 39 Member States elected by UNESCO’s General Conference. A final item on the agenda of the meeting is the awarding ceremony of the UNESCO-IPDC Prize for Rural Communication.
Unique in the United Nations system, the IPDC Programme was created in 1980 with the aim of expanding opportunities for free and independent media in developing countries. In three decades, IPDC has channeled almost US$ 100 million to some 1200 media development projects in more than 140 countries.
The Media Development Indicators, born out of an extensive international consultation launched by the IPDC Council, are a diagnostic tool intended to be used by media professionals, policy makers, development agencies, and project managers to analyze the state of the media and identify areas where support is most required. Three case studies focusing on the application of the indicators in Mozambique, Croatia and the Maldives will be presented on the first day of the meeting.
On 25 March, a report by UNESCO’s Director-General on “The Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity” will be discussed. The discussion will involve a panel composed of three of the most important institutions specialized on freedom of expression: the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Finally, the thematic debate on “Free, independent and pluralistic media: the enabling role of the State” will look at three examples from South Africa, Uruguay and Indonesia, in which positive state interventions have helped to created an enabling environment for the development of free, independent and pluralistic media.
During the meeting, eight new members of the IPDC Bureau will be elected by the Intergovernmental Council which comprises 39 Member States elected by UNESCO’s General Conference. A final item on the agenda of the meeting is the awarding ceremony of the UNESCO-IPDC Prize for Rural Communication.
Unique in the United Nations system, the IPDC Programme was created in 1980 with the aim of expanding opportunities for free and independent media in developing countries. In three decades, IPDC has channeled almost US$ 100 million to some 1200 media development projects in more than 140 countries.
Related themes/countries
· Media Development
· International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC)
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