The Netherlands Renews Support to Freedom of Expression and the Safety of Journalists

On 25 November 2022, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and UNESCO signed new funding agreements under which the Netherlands will contribute 441,500 Euros to the Organization’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) and 248,000 Euros to the Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP) for the period 2023-2024.

The Netherlands has been a longstanding supporter of UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector.

An active member of both the IPDC Council and Bureau, the Netherlands is one of the most important donors of the Programme. A global project recently supported by The Netherlands is having substantial impact on strengthening the role of security forces in protecting freedom of expression and the safety of journalists. It has led to the establishment of a partnership with the International Police Association, a network of close to 400,000 police officials, to train security forces on international standards in this area.

The Netherlands’ support has also helped strengthen national multi-stakeholder mechanisms to monitor journalists’ safety and the implementation of access to information laws.

Its support to the IPDC’s rapid response mechanism in 2020-2021 enabled UNESCO to quickly react to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and support innovative media responses to the crisis.

With this new agreement, the Netherlands will also further support the IPDC’s efforts to foster media development based on local needs, addressing the challenges that threaten media’s ability to function properly, and promote gender equality in and through media.  It will also contribute to a project to make safe working spaces for journalists in conflict situations, with a focus on displaced and diaspora journalists.

Concerning the MDP, the country has consistently contributed to the Programme in recent years, including through the Global Drive for Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists, with an endowment of 7 million Euros evenly divided between UNESCO’s MDP and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The Global Drive enabled a new level of inter-agency cooperation and activity expansion. Among these activities are raising awareness about issues related to freedom of expression, strengthening the capacity of duty-bearers and rights-holders to protect journalists’ safety and meet international human rights standards, and providing policy advice for media law reform.

The Netherlands’ support also made possible the piloting of a project on use the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to provide guidance to countries on how to fulfill UPR commitments to freedom of expression, media freedom, access to information and journalists’ safety.

This new support agreements covering the period 2023-2024, will help to expand UNESCO’s work and respond to emerging issues and crises affecting freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.

IPDC works to ensure a healthy environment for free, independent and pluralistic press through direct support to projects on the ground and leadership in setting and monitoring international standards. As the UN system’s only multilateral forum dedicated to mobilizing the international community around media development, it plays an important normative role. It promotes media development in emergent countries, countries in transition, and countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, by supporting grassroots media projects.

https://www.unesco.org/en/international-programme-development-communication

The MDP serves to further strengthen UNESCO’s work at a global, regional, and national levels, by channeling funds towards emerging priorities and the most pressing needs to achieve the Organization’s mandate on freedom of expression. It enables UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector to address complex issues through the design and implementation of holistic medium and long-term interventions. This mechanism clearly benefits UNESCO and its partners by allowing them to achieve greater impact and sustainability while reducing fragmentation of activities in the same field.

Protect free, independent and pluralistic media: 

https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-freedom-expression/mdp