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© UN Photo/Richard Wolf

UNESCO and the European Union are joining forces to support Afghan media outlets and journalists, through a new 18-month initiative, which will enhance Afghan media resilience and foster their role in providing access to information for Afghan citizens.

"UNESCO is proud to announce this new partnership with the generous funding of the European Union. By supporting independent Afghan media outlets and specialized civil society organizations, the project will be an important contribution in ensuring access to lifesaving, humanitarian and conflict-sensitive information for millions of Afghan citizen."

   -- Tawfik JelassiAssistant Director General for Communication and Information, UNESCO

UNESCO will provide support to Afghan media outlets in the production of conflict-sensitive, humanitarian, health and educational public interest content. The project will benefit at least 6 million Afghan citizens, with a specific focus on reporting addressed at women, girls and youth.

UNESCO will also be partnering with civil society organizations and local journalists’ unions to train an estimated six hundred journalists on conflict-sensitive reporting, digital and physical safety, and train  journalism students and community volunteers on journalism best practices and community reporting.

The project will be fully aligned with the United Nations Transitional Engagement Framework (UN TEF) and funded by the European Union Neighborhood Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE) under the crisis response window of the rapid response pillar.

In his most recent report on the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for peace and security,  (A/77/340-S/2022/692), the Secretary General of the United Nations has documented repeated human rights violations against journalists and media outlets, curtailing freedom of the media and the safety of journalists in the country. The report details the rising humanitarian needs of around 24.4 million people (59 percent of the Afghan population), which have been further exacerbated by the sharp economic decline and economic crisis, protracted vulnerability and recent earthquakes and natural hazards affecting the country.

"Freedom of expression, media freedom and women's rights are at the heart of our engagement in Afghanistan. The partnership between the European Union and UNESCO reflects our commitment to protecting these human rights. Together, we are taking concrete steps to support the survival of Afghan media, promote access to verified information, and mitigate the impact of disinformation."

   -- Raffaella IodiceChargée d’Affaires a.i. and Deputy Head of the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan

In an appeal entitled “Afghan journalism is threatened with extinction”, published by Reporters Without Borders in response to the events of August 2021, more than hundred Afghan journalists still working in the country appealed to the international community to provide immediate support to the Afghan media sector having also to cope with a financial crisis.

A report published by the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) in February 2022, which is based on a survey conducted by its local affiliate the Afghanistan National Journalists Union (ANJU), found that across 33 provinces, 318 media outlets closed since August 2021. Out of the 623 outlets previously operating in the country, only 305 remained open in February 2022. Women journalists have been especially hard-hit. According to a recent survey by ANJU, which was supported by UNESCO, 80% of women journalists have lost their job in the radio sector alone. In total, 98 radio stations have ceased operations since August 2021, with 91% of those surveyed stating they were in need of financial support. 

URL:

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/afghanistan-unesco-and-european-union-join-forces-support-media-resilience