News
UN Country Teams in South-East Asia come together to strengthen UN cooperation on freedom of expression, access to information and the safety of journalists
UNESCO and UNSSC jointly held a regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand on 21-22 March 2023, for UN Country Teams based in South-East Asia on freedom of expression, access to information, the safety journalists, and related challenges, such as disinformation and hate speech.
Discussions also highlighted recent initiatives and synergies between UNESCO and other UN agencies to support the free flow of information and the safety of journalists, such as through the project launched by UNESCO last year to improve the use of the Universal Periodic Review in support of the advancement of these rights, as part of the Global Drive for Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists initiative and with funding from UNESCO鈥檚 .
The session emphasized the role of Resident Coordinators in identifying interagency synergies and enhancing collaboration throughout the UN System to address freedom of expression-related issues.
This workshop, supported by the MDP, also brought along a distinguished panel of speakers ranging from experts and media professionals to representatives of civil society organizations and academia to discuss national and regional priorities, achievements and challenges related to fundamental freedoms.
At the closing session, Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, drew attention to emerging challenges in the digital sphere and the path forward following the February 2023 鈥Internet for Trust鈥 Conference, which served to discuss draft guidelines on the regulation of digital platforms to safeguard information as a public good.
Workshops like this provide us with an excellent opportunity to learn from each other and to see how we can create new entry points in different country contexts for taking this agenda forward.
The workshop in Bangkok was the second of a series of regional workshops organized for UN Country Teams with the goal of increasing UN-wide understanding of freedom of expression, access to information and the safety of journalists, as well as strengthening UN cooperation on these issues at national and regional levels. It was held as part of , which also includes a and will remain open until December 2023. As part of this collaborative effort, the two organizations scheduled two webinars: 鈥溾 on 18 Jan 2023 鈥Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other Human Rights鈥 on 12 April 2023.
About the Multi-Donor Programme for Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP)
The MDP aims to further strengthen UNESCO鈥檚 work at the global, regional, and national levels, by allocating funds to emerging priorities and the most pressing needs to achieve the Organization鈥檚 mandate on freedom of expression. It allows UNESCO鈥檚 Communication and Information Sector to address complex issues by designing and implementing comprehensive medium and long-term interventions. This mechanism helps UNESCO and its partners by increasing impact and sustainability while reducing fragmentation of activities in the same field.
