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The UN Democracy Fund Celebrates the World Press Freedom Day

Freedom of expression, pluralistic and vibrant media, the protection of responsible journalism and access to information, especially for the poor, all contribute to the promotion of an active civil society, and are thus part of the United Nations Democracy Fund's objectives. The Secretary General stated recently in Doha, Qatar: "An essential feature of democracy is a free press, able to perform its vital work of informing and educating the voting public without fear, harassment or censorship". In his address to the 7th Forum on Democracy, Development and Free Trade, he declared three basic and universal principles of democracy to be "equality, transparency and accountability", and "freedom of thought and expression".

The United Nations Democracy Fund supports freedom of thought and of expression by funding projects from civil society organisations and the UN system that further such rights. For instance, UNDEF is in partnership with IREX Europe to diversify the news available to Iraqis by enabling the new independent National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) to open reporting offices in nine governorates, supporting the key component of democracy represented by independent local media. The project is allowing regular reporting on Iraq's ethnic communities in spite of the difficulties on the ground. It also aims to employ more female journalists to foster gender coverage, and works towards establishing a national communications network to deliver objective and professional news to local media outlets. UNDEF and Timor Lorosa'e Journalists' Association in Timor-Leste train and equip Timorese journalists so that they may gain experience and professionalism. In the Philippines, the Democracy Fund strengthens the press' critical role as a watchdog and underscores media ethics and responsibility in partnership with the local Center for Community Journalism and Development. "Journalists for Human Rights-Canada" is developing the capacity of the national media in Sierra Leone to report more effectively, bolstering the media's ability to act as a medium of human rights and democratic information. A similar programme is developed by UNDP in The Gambia in collaboration with Action Aid International The Gambia and the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies.

Through an UNDEF-funded project called "The Fourth Power Needs Protection", lawyers in Tajikistan have received support from the local NGO Khoma, an Internews affiliate, to defend the media and their professionals in the Courts if they are the victims of restrictions to their freedom of expression, while the journalists' associations act in concert with the jurists in their bid for a more independent justice. UNDP's Oslo Governance Centre undertakes at the request of Member States the so-called "Information and Communication Audits" in select Least Developed Countries. The Interpress Service International Association and UNIFEM are focusing on women in African elections through linked communication activities for journalists, female candidates and women's organisations. Journalists are mentored and trained to do independent electoral reporting with a strong gender lens, while female candidates and women's organisations are trained to cooperate effectively with the media to get their messages across. The Eurasia Foundation has received a Democracy Fund grant to strengthen the capacities of Armenian journalists to engage in anti-corruption reporting and establish a network for cooperation between the media, civil society and government on anti-corruption activities. The Bosnian Centre for Investigative Reporting manages a regional capacity-building program to help investigative reporters and reporting organizations tackle transnational organized crime, in the belief that organized crime works across borders and so the media's attention across borders is necessary to combat it. Finally, the Paraguayan FM "Alter Vida" and the Democracy Fund promote women in political parties across the parliamentary spectrum, organize live radio debates on public policies with impact on gender equality and discuss the role of media in diminishing gender bias.

Together with UNESCO and other entities in the UN system, the Democracy Fund will continue promoting the freedom of press, making information easier available, opinions and voices heard more clearly and deepening democracy by strengthening a pluralistic and vibrant media, one of its major guarantors. As the President of the UN General Assembly has stated, "Humanity's perpetual search for freedom of expression is ultimately demonstrated by its resolve to guarantee freedom of the press. From reporting on world wars, natural disasters or social and political upheavals to nourishing the minds of society, journalists are always in the forefront of the fight to inform and enlighten". The Democracy Fund fully embraces this approach in the support it provides to CSO's. In the next call for proposals of the Fund, foreseen in September-October 2007, applicants are encouraged to submit ideas that would widen citizens' access to information as a right in itself and as a powerful means towards a more democratic world with better informed global citizenship.