The 69th meeting of the Bureau of the Intergovernmental Council of the UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) was held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France. Ukraine, which recently established the IPDC National Committee headed by the Chair of the National Council, Olha Herasymiuk, joined the meeting online.
Participants discussed:
- a report on the implementation of projects approved in June 2023;
- the financial status of the Programme and opportunities to support new initiatives;
- budget planning for 2025–2026, taking into account the current deficit;
- approval of new IPDC projects and presentation of successful practices.
Particular attention was paid to the challenges to freedom of speech and independent media during the meeting. The representative of the Netherlands emphasized the changing global media context and the increasing pressure on journalists. During the reports, the participants noted the critically low level of funding for the media sector. Less than 0.5% of the total volume of international support is a critically insufficient level to preserve the functions of the media in a democratic society.
In the final part of the meeting, the delegate of the Russian Federation made statements in which he attempted to accuse Ukraine of the murders of Russian journalists over the past three years. The Russian side demanded an official response from the UNESCO Secretariat. It also proposed holding a separate meeting to review the “modification of the methodology for recording the killings of journalists” used by the organization.
This initiative was intended in essence to influence the criteria by which UNESCO classifies cases of deaths of journalists related to their professional activities. However, the Russian initiative met with strong resistance. The UNESCO Secretariat categorically rejected this proposal, emphasizing the effectiveness of existing monitoring methods.
None of the participating countries supported the Russian proposals. The chairman of the meeting thanked for the opinion expressed within the framework of the protocol procedure, after which the discussion was concluded without adopting any decisions on the Russian initiatives.
Let us remind you that a month ago Ukraine joined the UNESCO IPDC Programme. On May 20, the National Committee held its first constituent meeting under the chairmanship of Olha Herasymiuk. The participants of the National Committee were leading experts in the field of media, strategic communications, human rights, parliamentarians and diplomats. The meeting identified the following focus areas: setting priorities for the Committee’s activities, promoting Ukraine’s participation in UNESCO initiatives, and supporting national media projects.
As a point of information, the IPDC Programme is the only platform in the UN system aimed at supporting independent media, the safety of journalists, media education, and institutional development of the media in countries with economies in transition, as well as in post-conflict regions. Currently, IPDC unites 38 member countries. Ukraine actively uses its membership in the Programme to promote the values of freedom of speech and reduce the destructive influence of Russia in UNESCO’s intergovernmental structures.
