UNESCO/UNPFN project PBF/NPL/A-3 “Increasing the safety of journalists”
Project fact sheet: http://mptf.undp.org/factsheet/project/00085992
The project ‘Increasing the Safety of Journalists’ is financed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund, a global UN multi-donor trust fund supported by over 50 international donors. These funds are managed through the UN Peace Fund for Nepal. The project involves diverse activities with multiple stakeholders for improving the security situation of journalists and media professionals by engaging media, security agencies, legal entities and public.
Project duration: April 2013 – March 2015
Budget: USD 566,526
Project Background
Nepal’s media has remained under high level of risks despite Comprehensive Peace Accord’s (CPA) ambitious peace-building framework where right to freedom of expression and the respect of freedom of the press remain a key component.
The high number of threats and cases of violence against journalists, which take place in many parts of Nepal, often as the result of their investigating in cases of rights violations and corruption, seriously undermine these benefits. This holds true in particular for journalists engaging in investigations in the Central Terai and Eastern Hills regions of the country.
Many of these cases go unpunished. This state of impunity diminishes public trust in security and justice agencies and contributes to an atmosphere of insecurity and oppression.
Project Objectives
The project aims at improving the security situation of journalists and media professionals in Nepal by establishing a nationally owned independent mechanism to provide framework to tackle the safety and impunity issues:
by empowering security sector institutions to play their role to protect journalists; and
political parties and public acknowledge the importance of security of journalists
Project Strategy
The project targets the issue of safety of journalists in a three-tier approach:
Establishing a nationally owned mechanism that ensures a safe environment for journalists;
Enhancing the capacity of state authorities, including security sector institutions and the judiciary system, to better protect journalists with support from civil society and the public at large; and
Enhancing the capacity of journalists and media houses to protect themselves
Project Partners
The UNESCO Office in Kathmandu is implementing the project with following partners:
National Partners
- Ministry of Information and Communications
- National Human Rights Commission- Nepal
- Nepal Police- Human Rights Cel
- Press Council Nepal
- NGO Federation of Nepal
- Minimum Wage Fixation Committee, Nepal
Implementation Partners
- Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and FNJ committees of minorities and vulnerable group
- Sancharika Samuha- Forum for Women Journalists and Communicators
- Association of Community Radio Broadcasters Nepal (ACORAB)
- Freedom Forum
- Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC)
- Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC)
- Freedom Forum
- Jagaran Media Centre
- Human Rights Journalists Association (HURJA), Nepal
- Media Advocacy Group (MAG)
- Federation of Nepalese Indigenous Journalists (FONIJ)
- Media Accountability Foundation (MAF)
- Members of the Nepal International Media Partnership (NIMP)
- Madhesi Journalists Association
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