Denmark Supports UNESCO’s Work on Safety of Journalists in Africa and the Arab Region

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Audrey Azoulay
Director-General of UNESCO

 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Denmark have signed a Funds-In-Trust Agreement worth 2 million Danish Krone (approximately USD320,000), to implement a two-year project tagged “Enhancing the Safety of Journalists in Africa and the Arab Region”.

The Ambassador of Denmark to UNESCO, Carsten Staur also met with UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, to discuss Denmark’s collaboration with UNESCO and strengthening the organization’s work in the field of safety of journalists, in particular in Africa and the Arab Region.

UNESCO and Denmark have signed a Funds-In-Trust Agreement of 2 million Danish Krone (approximately 320,000 USD), to implement a two-year project tagged “Enhancing the Safety of Journalists in Africa and the Arab Region”.

Denmark’s contribution is expected to complement the actions funded by UNESCO’s Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP), a major UNESCO’s programme funding the organization’s work to protect journalists worldwide. Through MDP, UNESCO supports activities to promote the adoption and application of relevant policies and normative frameworks to strengthen the environment for freedom of expression and press freedom, and to enhance the safety of journalists, as well as to foster sustainable and independent media institutions. MDP is open to contributors.

Ambassador Staur expressed Denmark’s interest in increasing its collaboration with UNESCO based on strong projects with a human rights approach, including those related to freedom of expression, and also in creating synergies with other parts of the UN system particularly through the Universal Periodical Review exercise (UPR). The Ambassador and Director-General also discussed how UNESCO could enhance its work in the area of promoting and protecting the freedom of expression of scientists and artists, issues that, according to the Ambassador, should also be better reflected in the UPRs.

The Multi-Donor Programme for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP) serves to further strengthen UNESCO work at global, regional, and national levels, by channelling funds towards emerging priorities and the most pressing needs to achieve its mandate on freedom of expression. It enables UNESCO Communication and Information Sector to address complex issues through the design and implementation of holistic medium and long-term interventions at national, regional and global levels. The clear advantage of this mechanism is that it allows UNESCO and its partners to achieve greater impact and sustainability, whilst reducing fragmentation of activities in the same field.

Furthter details on the collaboration can be read via; https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-freedom-expression/mdp.