Assisting the Media
UNESCO played a key role in re-launching Kabul Weekly, the first independent press to appear in the country since the fall of the Taliban.
It is also providing training to journalists and technical media staff, including those of national television. UNESCO projects aim to strengthen other independent media, as well as helping to strengthen the Afghan News Agency, particularly through the training of journalists.
Other projects in the area of public service broadcasting include the establishment of a regulatory framework and support for TV productions and co-productions. To favour the development of independent print media, UNESCO will help establish an independent printing plant and distribution network.
There is also a project to create community multimedia centres to provide access to information needed for development projects and provide distance learning facilities.
Safeguarding Audiovisual Heritage
In the framework of the Information for All Programme and in cooperation with the French Institut national de l’audiovisuel (INA), UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector, set up a cooperation programme aiming to safeguard Afghan audiovisual archives. The following activities are foreseen:
- 30-day training sessions in Parisian laboratories for 4 Afghan technicians to transfer competences related to safeguarding audiovisual equipment and techniques;
- six 10-day missions of trainers to the Radio and Television of Afghanistan (RTA), Afghan Films and Ariana Films, Kabul, in order to deliver training courses on maintenance and documentation, in particular: maintenance of viewing equipment (RTA); maintenance of tele-cinema (Afghan films); film expertise (Afghan films) and documentary techniques (Afghan films/RTA/Ariana Films). The programme will also deliver spare parts, DVC PRO cassettes and software for heritage maintenance and preservation.
