International Programme for the Development of Communication
The International Programme for the Development of Communication is a
Background
On December 10, 1948, Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as Resolution 217 A (III). It stated that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."[1]
In 1977, UNESCO initiated the International Commission for the Study of Communications Problems, known as the
As a result of the report, UNESCO launched the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC). The programme web site states that it "exists to strengthen the means of mass communication in developing countries, by increasing technical and human resources for the media, by developing community media and by modernising news agencies and broadcasting organizations."
At the November 1987
At the June 2004 session of the UN General Assembly, it was "decided to maintain the Committee to Review United Nations Public Information Policies and Activities" with a mandate including "To promote the establishment of a new, more just and more effective world information and communication order intended to strengthen peace and international understanding and based on the free circulation and wider and better-balanced dissemination of information and to make recommendations thereon to the General Assembly."
It has been said that the "results of UNESCO's McBride Report regarding media diversity alerted UNESCO, and other international bodies to the necessity for a New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO)."[3]
However, "Despite UNESCO's attempt to protect independent and national news agencies from being dominated by western news agencies and networks, the NWICO policy was boycotted by America and Britain, who withdrew their membership from UNESCO and funding of the organisation's initiatives. Although Britain rejoined UNESCO in 1997, the global media owners' opposition towards the NWICO policy (which collapsed thereafter) highlights their commercial stronghold in the international news market."[3] (The USA also rejoined UNESCO, in 2003.)
In order to achieve its mission the IPDC elaborates several development projects worldwide and develops special initiatives related to its mandate.
Mandate
The International Programme for Development Communication (IPDC) was created by the
Sustainable Development Goal 16
The IPDC is responsible for targets 10.1 and 10.2 of the Sustainable Development Goal 16 (or SDG 16).[5] SDG 16 called “peace, justice and strong institutions” aims to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions”.[6] More specifically, SDG 16.10 aims to: “Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements”.[6]
The two indicators related to the target are:
- SDG 16.10.1: “Number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates in the previous 12 months”;
- SDG 16.10.2: “Number of countries that adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information”.[6]
Composition
The IPDC is mainly composed of the Intergovernmental Council and of the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Council. The Council normally meets in plenary session in November every two years, and the Bureau annually in March. The Bureau discharges duties decided by the council and has full responsibility for Project selection, approval and allocation of funds.[6]
The Intergovernmental Council of the IPDC
The IPDC Council comprises 39 Member State delegates elected every two years from the UNESCO General Conference, and submits to it a report on its activities. The Council elects a chair, who is also Chair of the Bureau. The council, according to the Statutes as amended in 2003, is responsible for:
- Policy-making, guiding the planning and the implementation of the Programme;
- Approving priorities;
- Reviewing and assessing achievements on the basis of implementation and evaluation reports on projects and defining basic areas requiring increased international cooperation;
- Reviewing ways and means whereby Member States might participate more effectively;
- Approving an appropriate system of IPDC financing to secure the resources needed.[5]
The Bureau of the Intergovernemental Council of the IPDC
The Bureau members comprise the Chair of the Bureau, three vice-chairpersons, a Rapporteur and three other members, giving a total of eight who remain in office until a new Bureau is elected. The Bureau with Secretariat support is the appropriate body to submit proposals for a strategic framework to the council for consideration.[5]
Journalism
Safety of journalists
UNESCO’s Director-General Report on killing of journalists
Data on killings is gathered and verified for the Director-General's report and World Trends from multiple sources, including NGOs, UNESCO Field Offices and UNESCO Permanent Delegations. The Director-General further requests a report from States on the status of investigations into these killings. State responses are categorized as: i) no information received from the relevant State on the judicial enquiry's status; ii) the case, subject to specific official information being provided, is ongoing or unresolved; or iii) the case is resolved through conviction, the death of a suspect, or a judicial decision that the death was not related to journalistic practice. The response rate of states has risen from 30% in 2013 to 74.5% in 2017.[5]
In addition to feeding into the Director Generals’ Report biennially, the data gathered is used in several ways. It is formally submitted to the IPDC Council, contributes to the World Trends report; it feeds into UNESCO's contribution to the global monitoring of SDG indicator 16.10.1; it is used as an input for UNESCO's submissions to the Universal Periodic Report of the United Nations Human Rights Council.[5]
Strengthening national mechanisms to promote the safety of journalists
The IPDC's strategy since 2017 to enhance safety of journalists at national levels is to strengthen national mechanisms that promote safety and combat impunity for crimes against journalists.[11] This was further highlighted during the November 2017 Eastern African Conference on National Mechanisms for Safety of journalists with the Nairobi Declaration during which Eastern African countries called for the establishment of national mechanisms.[12] Toby Mendel considers that “making sure that relevant stakeholders are effectively integrated into a safety mechanism can dramatically increase its chances of succeeding by harnessing the skills, resources, and support of different stakeholders, and by promoting coordination as opposed to duplication or even competition”.[13] These mechanisms include capacity building, legislative reforms, monitoring, training, and the provision by media companies of protective equipment.[11]
Global Initiative for Excellence in Journalism Education (GIEJE)
The Global Initiative for Excellence in
Journalism Curriculum Development in Nairobi In 2013, the School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Nairobi developed a curriculum on conflict reporting, bringing together experts who had developed the training material and providing training at a regional conference on the topic.[16][5]
Media Development
This was the first of the IPDC Special Initiatives, initiated by the Council in 2006 and launched in 2008 after a period of research, drafting and consultation. The framework is built on UNESCO's Constitutional mandate to foster “the unrestricted pursuit of objective truth”, “the free exchange of ideas and knowledge” and “the free flow of ideas by word and image”. It has been applied in over 20 countries[17] and assessments are ongoing in 18 more.[18]
The indicators cover the media sector as a whole, under five categories:
- Legal and regulatory framework governing media;
- Degree of plurality and diversity of the media;
- Capacity of media to function as a platform for democratic discourse;
- Professional capacities;
- Technical capacities.[5]
The Media Development projects
The IPDC supports several media development projects in all five United Nations regions, involving:
- Training Judicial Authorities in Africa:
- Support to UNESCO Conferences
- IPDC Talks in the field
- Access to Information in Afghanistan
- Capacity support in IPDC Secretariat
- Gender and Media Project: Fostering gender balance and sensitivity in media in Asia
- Gender and Media Project: Fostering balanced and fair gender portrayal in Jordanian media content
- Promoting safety of journalists in Ukraine
- Establishment and reinforcement of national safety mechanisms
- Gender and Media Project: Strengthening IPDC-GAMAG partnership for gender-transformative media development
Knowledge-Driven Media Development (KDMD)
Knowledge-Driven Media Development (KDMD) is an IPDC special initiative agreed on at the 57th meeting of the IPDC Bureau in March 2013. The framework promotes a “knowledge-driven”, “context-sensitive” media development approach, that takes into account “the challenges and opportunities of the media environment”.[19]
Media and Internet Indicators
The Media Development indicators (MDI)
The Media Development indicators (MDI) were developed by the IPDC Intergovernmental Council 2006 in line with IPDC's priority areas of promotion of freedom of expression and media pluralism, development of community media, and human resources development.[20] In a 2013 assessment[21] of the impact of the MDIs, outcomes were identified based on interviews with UNESCO HQ and Field Staff and over a dozen media development experts. The first refers to the specific impacts of the MDIs, such as:
- In Bhutan, the MDI completed in 2010 contributed to amending a media law to create an Independent Press Council; and an IPDC Project,[22] run by the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) in 2012, instigated a process introducing community radio as a third tier of broadcasting. The first two stations were opened in 2016.
- The MDI in Tunisia in 2012, part of a wider IPDC Special Initiative after the Arab Spring, combined with other social forces outlined the role of the MDI as an advocacy tool.
- In Gabon, where MDI recommendations are on the webpage of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the government has started to fund community media.
- In the Maldives, the decriminalization of defamation in 2011 can “in part be attributed [to] one of the MDI report’s recommendations”, according to the Evaluation of the International Programme for the Development of Communication published in 2018.
A second point of influence of MDIs aims at purposes other than enhancing government policy. The third type of outcome noted by the report is the enhancement of dialogue, empowerment and capacity building. In Côte d'Ivoire, the process of consultations initiated by the MDIs resulted in the creation by the government of a Media Development Committee comprising both government and non-governmental organizations.[5]
Journalism Safety indicators
Based on their Media Development indicators, UNESCO's IPDC developed the Journalists Safety Indicators (JSI). According to UNESCO's website, its purpose is to "pinpoint significant matters that show, or impact upon, the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity".[23] These indicators aims on mapping the key features that can help assess safety of journalists, and determining whether adequate follow-up is given to crimes committed against them.[24][25] Analysis based on the Journalists Safety indicators have been conducted in Guatemala (2013), Kenya (2016), Nepal (2016), Pakistan (2013-2014).[5]
In Pakistan an IPDC Project was used to enhance mechanisms to monitor attacks on journalists by the Rural Media Network Programme, and to provide training on safety awareness especially for women journalists;
In Colombia in 2014, an IPDC Project implemented by Fundación para la libertad de Prensa, developed and implemented for four major media outlets a digital safety strategy, including a safety guide and building in the use of a safety app for journalists. In Palestine, IPDC supported risk assessment and safety training among independent Gazan journalists, undertaken by the Ma’an Network.[5]
Internet Universality indicators
The Gender Sensitive indicators for Media
The goal of the Gender Sensitive Indicators for Media framework (GSIM)[29] is to contribute to gender equality and women's empowerment in and through media of all kinds. The framework covers two dimensions: gender equality within media organizations; and gender portrayal in media content. It is designed for use by all media organizations.[30] The GSIM has been applied under IPDC on a number of occasions and in different contexts, including the following:
- In 2014, Gender and Media in Southern Africa (GEMSAT) applied it (after refinement for use locally) in Tanzania to seven community radio stations enhancing understanding of the issues and encouraging change.[31]
- In 2015, it was implemented in Paraguay by an NGO, Global News Agency, focusing primarily on content in two each of print and digital media and of television channels, and analyzing over 1,100 articles and 400 advertisements.[32]
- Thai Public Service Broadcasting (TPSB) was established in 2008 partly to become a best practice leader in media. The GSIM fitted well with its goal, and TPSB's training institute implemented it in 2014 - 2015 across six prominent broadcasting outlets both public and commercial. The goal was also to raise awareness among these media organizations, the media regulator and the public.[33]
- In the Dominican Republic in 2014, a Project implemented both the MDI and GSIM by the Dominican College of Journalists, in a wide consultation process.[34]
- A similar Project of the Haiti State University’ Communications Department began in 2016 implementing the GSIM and MDI together, with the goal of producing a set of recommendations to strengthen the development of the media sector and guide future policy.[35]
- In Mongolia, Globe International Centre from 2015 to 2016 took the GSIM and translated it into Mongolian, and piloted it in the public service broadcaster MNB, the private TV station UBS, and the Confederation of Mongolian Journalists.[5]
See also
- Freedom of expression
- Journalism
- Media censorship
References
- ^ "Universal Declaration of Human Rights". Archived from the original on 2014-12-08.
- UNESCO (1987-11-20). "Communication in the Service of Man". Records of the General Conference - Twenty-fourth Session (PDF). Vol. 1: Resolutions. Paris. pp. 35–39.)
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- ^ Amendments to the Statutes of the International Programme for The Development of Communication (IPDC) Resolution 43/32, adopted on the Report of Commission V at the 18th Plenary Meeting, on 15 October 2003.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k O Siochrú, Sean; Geurts, Geoff (March 2018). Evaluation of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) (PDF). p. 122.
- ^ a b c d "Goal 16 .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform". sustainabledevelopment.un.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "UN plan of action on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ a b "Initiatives". UNESCO. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "UN plan of action on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity". unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ IPDC (2016). Time to break the cycle of violence against journalists: highlights from the UNESCO Director-General's 2016 report on the safety of journalists and the danger of impunity (PDF). UNESCO.
- ^ a b "General Conference". unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "The Nairobi Declaration on National Mechanisms for Safety of Journalists" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ Toby Mendel, Supporting Freedom of expression: A practical guide to developing specialized safety mechanisms, UNESCO, April 2016.
- ^ "Centres of excellence in journalism education". UNESCO. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ Model Curriculum for Journalism Education, UNESCO series on Journalism Education. UNESCO. 2013. p. 211.
- ^ Based on interviews with Dr Ndeti Ndati, Dr Wambui Kiai, University of Nairobi, and Dr. Jirayudh Sinthuphan, South Asian Studies Centre, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University.
- ^ "Media Development Indicators (MDIs)". UNESCO. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Applying UNESCO's Media Development Indicators (MDIs)" (PDF). Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Knowledge-Driven Media Development". UNESCO. 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Defining indicators of media development". unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ Mariona Sanz Cortell (2013) Report on the impact of the UNESCO Media Development Indicators assessments. UNESCO.
- ^ The Project documentation can be seen here: http://www.unescoci.org/ipdcprojects/content/development-third-tier-broadcasting-community-radio-bhutan
- ^ "UNESCO Journalists' Safety Indicators". UNESCO. 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Journalists' Safety Indicators: International Level". unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Journalists' Safety Indicators: National Level". unesdoc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Background". UNESCO. 2019-06-13. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "Freedom of Expression on the Internet". UNESCO. 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ "UNESCO Series on Internet Freedom". UNESCO. 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2019-10-25.
- ^ http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/crosscutting-priorities/gender-andmedia/gender-sensitive-indicators-for-media/ [dead link]
- ^ GSIM Framework p.17.
- ^ See Project database: http://www.unesco-ci.org/ipdcprojects/content/application-unesco-gendersensitive-media-indicators-means-promoting-gender-equality
- ^ See Project database: http://www.unesco-ci.org/ipdcprojects/content/promotion-gender-equalitythrough-use-unesco-gender-sensitive-indicators-media-policies
- ^ See Project database: http://www.unesco-ci.org/ipdcprojects/content/assessing-gender-sensitivity-thaipublic-media
- ^ See Project database: http://www.unesco-ci.org/ipdcprojects/content/media-assessment-dominicanrepublic-using-media-development-indicators
- ^ See Project database: http://www.unesco-ci.org/ipdcprojects/content/media-assessment-haiti-usingmedia-development-indicators
External links
- "About IPDC", UNESCO
- Declaration on fundamental principles concerning the contribution of the mass media to strengthening peace and international understanding, to the promotion of human rights and to countering racialism, apartheid and incitement to war, UNESCO, 28 November 1978.
- Sean Macbride et al., Many Voices, One World – Macbride Report, Paris, UNESCO Publishing, 1988
Further reading
- O.Boyd-Barrett & T.Rantanen, The Globalisation of News, London, Sage Publications, 1998.