Tawfik Jelassi and Ambassador Hans Wesseling, with colleagues from UNESCO and the Netherlands Permanent Delegation during the signing ceremony
Hans Wesseling, Ambassador to UNESCO, on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and Tawfik Jelassi, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, signed four agreements amounting to over 800,000 USD to support UNESCO’s efforts to promote media development, freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.
The funds received from the Netherlands will benefit the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and be used to finance media development projects submitted by grassroots organizations worldwide. The projects will specifically target Africa, the Arab states region and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and include a strong focus on gender-transformative projects, supporting media in responding to COVID-19 and other crises, and encouraging innovation.
The Netherlands’ support will also contribute to upscaling activities supported by UNESCO’s Multi-Donor Programme for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists that carries out activities to promote the adoption and application of relevant policies and normative frameworks to strengthen the environment for freedom of expression, press freedom, and access to information, and enhance the safety of journalists worldwide. This latest contribution adds to the €3.5 million euros channeled to the MDP last July 2021, as part of the Dutch-led ‘Global Drive for Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists’, launched during World Press Freedom Day 2020.
Finally, the Netherlands is also contributing to supporting access to reliable information during the upcoming elections in Lebanon, implemented as part of the Li Beirut Initiative, launched by UNESCO in the aftermath of the Beirut explosion in August 2020. The support to the Lebanese elections is an integral part of rebuilding Beirut. In this context, the Dutch funds will be invested in reinforcing the capacities of journalists, media organizations, youth, civil society and other actors involved in the election process, to create the conditions for free, fair and peaceful elections.