Media and Good Governance in Arab States: UNESCO/EU Seminar in Jordan
01-10-2002 ()
Opening of the Seminar
© UNESCO Amman
Communication and media practitioners from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Tunisia, Syria and Yemen are meeting this week in Jordan's capital Amman to share experiences as well as expertise and most importantly to plot future strategies in the area of media and democracy in Arab States.
Organized within the framework of the UNESCO/European Union Project: "Promotion of Independent and Pluralistic Arab Media", the Seminar on Media and Good Governance that is being held from 29 September to 3 October seeks to:
· Raise the awareness of practitioners in both the private and the public media about the pivotal role of the communication institutions in democracy and good governance;
· Increase the knowledge and skills of professionals working in both the private and public media in the use of the communication in support of good governance;
· Contribute to the democratisation processes in the Arab states and generally to underscore the pivotal role of the media in national democratic making processes.
The holding of the Seminar demonstrates the commitment of both UNESCO and the European Commission to support the media democratisation activities, in cooperation with non governmental organisations as well as Arab States. It is expected that the participants, at the end of the Seminar will duly underscore the pivotal role of the media in national democratic decision-making processes.
Papers prepared for the Seminar seek to demonstrate that the media can enhance democracy by systematic and constant analysis of government policies and programmes. By facilitating popular access to information and other communication facilities, the mass communication institutions, guarantee informed participation in national democratic decision-making processes most importantly the formulation of public policies. A measure of good governance is the degree by which the views and opinions of the public are integrated in policies and the elaboration of national programmes; and hence the importance of the media in the exercise of democracy.
· Raise the awareness of practitioners in both the private and the public media about the pivotal role of the communication institutions in democracy and good governance;
· Increase the knowledge and skills of professionals working in both the private and public media in the use of the communication in support of good governance;
· Contribute to the democratisation processes in the Arab states and generally to underscore the pivotal role of the media in national democratic making processes.
The holding of the Seminar demonstrates the commitment of both UNESCO and the European Commission to support the media democratisation activities, in cooperation with non governmental organisations as well as Arab States. It is expected that the participants, at the end of the Seminar will duly underscore the pivotal role of the media in national democratic decision-making processes.
Papers prepared for the Seminar seek to demonstrate that the media can enhance democracy by systematic and constant analysis of government policies and programmes. By facilitating popular access to information and other communication facilities, the mass communication institutions, guarantee informed participation in national democratic decision-making processes most importantly the formulation of public policies. A measure of good governance is the degree by which the views and opinions of the public are integrated in policies and the elaboration of national programmes; and hence the importance of the media in the exercise of democracy.
Related themes/countries
· Freedom of Expression: News Archives 2002
· Jordan: News Archives 2002
Share this story:
Contact information
- UNESCO
Source