Daily Heritage April 11

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DAILY HERITAGE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2018 11
Politics
Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about
anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for
yourself —Henry James
MFWA to host UN Special Rapporteur
at Regional Media Conference
THE MEDIA
Foundation for
West Africa
(MFWA) will, on
May 1, 2018, host
the Union Nations
(UN) Special Rapporteur
on the promotion and protection
of the right to freedom of
opinion and expression, Prof.
David Kaye, at a regional conference
on press freedom and
media development to be held
at Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
The conference would bring
together the heads of MFWA’s
national partner organisations
and media experts from all the
16 countries in the sub-region.
There would also be participants
from a number of African
countries with dire press freedom
conditions including
Uganda, Ethiopia and Democratic
Republic of Congo who
would share experiences with their
West African counterparts.
Participants would discuss the
current challenges to press freedom
and media development in
West Africa and share perspectives
on the best approaches for
addressing the challenges. The
The conference would bring
together the heads of
MFWA’s national partner organisations
and media experts
from all the 16
countries in the sub-region.
There would also be participants
from a number of
African countries with dire
press freedom conditions including
Uganda, Ethiopia and
Democratic Republic of
Congo who would share experiences
with their West
African counterparts.
conference would also serve as a
platform to commence discussions
on an elaborate process for
the development of a comprehensive
media development strategy
in the region.
The UN Special Rapporteur
would be one of the key speakers
at the conference alongside the
Board Chairman of the MFWA,
‘Promoting
Journalists’
Safety
and
Countering
Impunity
for
Mr Edetaen Ojo and
the prominent Publisher
and Editor of
Nigeria-based Premium
Times, Mr
Dapo Olorunyomi
among others.
The conference is
being hosted as a preevent
to this year’s
global World Press
Freedom Day
(WPFD) event, which
is being hosted by
Ghana on May 2 and
3, 2018.
Apart from the regional
convening, the
MFWA will also be
hosting a parallel session
on the topic:
Crimes against Journalists in
Africa’ at the WPFD event. The
session, which will be hosted in
collaboration with Canada-based
free expression organisation,
IFEX, will feature key speakers
from Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana,
Dr. Congo and Namibia.
The MFWA will also be hosting
digital rights advocates and activists
at a reception to discuss the
rising phenomenon of internet
by governments, especially during
significant national events such as
elections.
This year’s WPFD celebration
is on the theme: ‘Keeping Power
in Check: Media, Justice and Rule
of Law,’ and will be highlighting
the importance of the judiciary
and justice mechanisms for promoting
and protecting freedom of
expression, access to information
and safety of journalists.
The MFWA will also be
hosting digital rights
advocates and activists
at a reception
to discuss the rising
phenomenon of internet
by governments,
especially during significant
national
events such as elections.
•Prof. David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur