Implementation Reports on IPDC Projects Approved in 2009 - Unesco

PROJECT IMPLEMENTED BY THE DAKAR CLUSTER OFFICE
NATIONAL PROJECT
TOGO: CAPACITY BUILDING IN GOOD JOURNALISM PRACTICES FOR MEDIA
PROFESSIONALS
BUDGET CODE: 354 TOG 5081
US$ 25 000
TYPE OF PROJECT
This project submitted by Union des Journalistes Indépendants du Togo (UJIT), aims at training local
journalists and media professionals, and raising their awareness so that they can play their rightful role in the
establishment of democracy in their country. Having identified a set of priority needs (writing techniques,
collection and processing of information, good governance, etc.), the UJIT proposes to organize, with IPDC
support, training in journalism basics and good governance as it applies to the media. The training will be
complemented by the production of programmes and articles by the media organisations involved.
IMPLEMENTATION:
The contract between UNESCO and UJIT regarding the financing of this project was made in June 2009. A
regional seminar on Election coverage was organised in cooperation with West African Journalists Association
(WAJA) to contribute the improvement of journalists’ level in elections media coverage in WAJA Region, to
reflect on the situations of transitions and interruption of the democratic processes and their impacts on the
Medias, about media as dialogue conveyor (theme of the 2009 world press celebration day) for understanding
and reconciliation in these situations.
Activities included several communications and an enriching exchange of experiences. In the majority,
participants particularly insisted on the necessity of a professional and good quality work in any circumstances
particularly in elections periods and the need of granting journalists with better working conditions for
journalists in order to have better media coverage of elections.
Some great principles stated in the Dakar Declaration adopted during the May 3, 2005 Celebration of World
Press Freedom Day were recalled. This declaration called UNESCO member states «to help media to ensure a
professional coverage of elections by giving at appropriate time to journalist’s complete information and by
guaranteeing to political parties an equitable access to media throughout all electoral process ". It also urged
media and professional organisations "to commit themselves to achieve an objective and professional work and
to establish mechanisms to promote a professional journalism; to take part into journalists training sessions in
order to reinforce professional and deontological standards; to ensure the transparency with regard to property;
to promote media companies economic and to support journalists independence in improving their working
conditions and in remunerating them correctly "; the document also insisted on journalists’ training namely in
terms of security, with in particular training in security and the granting of a risk insurance to journalists.
It had been requested from UNESCO "to use the above mentioned declaration as reference document for its
activities» in the field of media. Thus, its main issues were largely discussed during the meeting of Kpalimé.
This regional workshop was immediately followed by a national workshop for Togolese journalists mainly on
the coverage of the coming presidential elections. A manual on elections coverage in West Africa was
developed and distributed among journalists in Togo and in the West Africa region.
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