UNESCO Freedom of Expression, Communication and Culture 2018-2021

1. Kultur - Deltagande uppföljningprocesser och dialogmekanismer har stärkts I linje med 2005-konventionen för främjande av mångfald av kulturyttringar, som skrivits under av 150 länder, har samarbetet med Unesco bidragit till förbättrad miljö för konstnärlig frihet och kreativitet i 16 länder; Mali, Mauritius, Tanzania, Uganda, Algeriet, Palestina, Mongoliet, Bangladesh, Peru, Jamaica, Indonesien, Senegal, Colombia, Burkina Faso, Etiopien and Zimbabwe. I dessa länder har deltagandeprocesser och plattformar för dialog etablerats, som samlar olika ministerier, civilsamhället och akademia. Uppföljningsystem genom sk QPRs (Quadrienial Periodic Reports) har utvecklats och genomförs i syfte att göra behovsanalys och för att följa upp hur länder följer 2005-konventionen för förbättrad kulturpolitik. Insatsen har stärkt kapaciteten hos både ansvarstagare och rättighetsbärare och lett till policyutveckling och ramverk inom områden som jämställdhet, konstnärlig frihet, mångfald inom media och inkludering av civilsamhället. Global kunskap har stärkts, bland annat genom den återkommande Global Report, 3rd edition, titled Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity Addressing culture as a global public good (2022) samt två stycken specialrapporter på temata konstnärlig frihet och jämställdhet. Covid 19-krisen ledde till publikationen Cultural and Creative Industries in the Face of COVID-19: An Economic Impact OutlookParticipatory recovery plans for the culture sector in 3 countries. ResiliArt - en global dialog för att möta en kultursektor i kris - tog fart inom programmet, vilken ledde till att dialoger på landnivå med ökad resiliens som resultat. Återhämtningsplaner togs fram i länder som Peru, Palestina och Senegal. Samarbetet med Unesco ledde även till ett pilotprojekt tillsammans med EU, som tog fram och använde så kallade kulturindikatorer kopplade till Agenda 2030 i ett antal länder och städer. Dessa ska tydligare ge rekommendationer om hur kulturen bidrar till de globala målen för hållbar utveckling i specifika kontexter. 2. Kommunication och Information - två multidonorprogram - IPDC och MDP - bidrar till yttrandefrihet, säkerhet för journalister, medieutveckling, Internetreglering, tillgång till information samt motverkande av desinformation Arbetet med policy-reformer har resulterat i stärkt lagstiftning kring yttrandefrihet, säkerhet för journalister och tillgång till information i Afghanistan, Burundi, DRC, Ecuador, Etiopien, Irak, Libanon, Mexico, Marocko, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, Somalia, Sydsudan, Sudan, Tunisien, Uruguay och Zambia. Samarbetet har skapat debatt och satt frågorna på en global agenda genom att arrangera World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI), World Radio Day (WRD), och Global MIL Week. Dessa event har lett till viktiga uttalanden och åtaganden, såsom Windhoek30 Declaration on information as a public good (2021). Stöd till länder under val, t ex Peru och Zambia, där man bland annat arbetat mot desinformation. Stärkt kapacitet hos hundratals åklagare och domare i sin förmåga att lagföra brott mot journalister, bland annat genom MOOC - Massive Open Online Courses. World Trend Report: Journalism as a public good har spridits och används som policyunderlag IPDC har stött 73 olika projekt som alla syftat till medieutveckling i låginkomstländer under åren 2020-2021. Bland projekten fanns sådana som handlade om att motverka desinformation, att rapportera säkert om covid-19, radio, journalistik i konfliktzoner, och säkerhet för journalister. Sex av projekten har särskilt fokuserat på jämställdhet inom journalistik och i media. IPDC har stöttat stater i implementerandet av indikatorer, som Unescos Internet Universality ROAM-X Indicators (IUI), Media Development Indicators (MDI), Journalists Safety Indicators (JSI), Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM). Införandet av indikatorerna leder i sin tur till ny kunskap underbyggd av fakta.

This intervention supports UNESCO's work on freedom of expression and 2005 Convention on culture diversity through the Communication and Information (CI) sector and the Culture (CLT) sector during the period 2018-2021. The main objectives correspond to expected results in the UNESCO's Medium Term Strategy for 2014-2021 (37 C/4) and Programme and Budget for 2018-2021 (39 C/5). The main objectives of the contribution are: Support to Communication and Information Sector: Outcome/expected result 1: Targeted Member States enhance legal and institutional frameworks related to the protection and promotion of freedom of expression online/offline, right of access to information and safety of journalists, in accordance with international standards (and UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity) and through integrating a gender sensitive approach.   Outcome/expected result 2: Member States have benefited from enhanced media contributions to diversity, gender equality and youth empowerment in and through media; and societies are empowered through media and information literacy programmes and effective media response to emergency and disaster.  Outcome/expected result 3: Media development is strengthened, and Member States have improved monitoring and reporting systems, and these results are reinforced by external grass roots projects supported by the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).  Support to the Culture Sector: Outcome/Expected result: Governments and civil society organizations engage in evidence-based and participatory policy making and monitoring processes in accordance with the principles and objectives of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Support to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS): This is considered by Sida a pilot, with the aim of strengthening UIS' role and a coordinated work between CI, IPDC and UIS to contribute to data collection and statistics for freedom of expression and SDG 16.   The above objectives correspond directly to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contribute in particular to SDG 16:10 and its targets 16:10:1 and 16:10:2 and also SDG 4, 5, 9, 13. The support to the CI sector is channelled through two multi donor accounts, the Multidonor Programme for Freedom of expression and the Safety of Journalists and the Multidonor Special Account for the International Programme on Development Communication (IPDC). Key features of the programmes include support to the UN Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists and Issues of Impunity, The World Trends report on Freedom of Expression and Media Development, monitoring of SDG 16:10, Internet Universality Indicator Suite, to mention a few. Activities serve to promote the development, adoption and implementation of relevant policies and normative frameworks to strengthen the environment for freedom of expression and press freedom and to support sustainable and independent media institutions.   Main activities to achieve the objectives of the intervention are to enhance legal and institutional frameworks, building on UNESCO's leverage to influence duty-bearers, including judges, legislature, parliamentarians, and law enforcement bodies. This is done through evidence based policy formulation and recommendations, technical expertise, capacity building and advocacy. At the same time media, journalists, artists, academia and civil society are enabled by UNESCO to take an active role in this work, by capacity building and multi-stakeholders platforms. Trainings differ for different context, but could include countering hate speech, conflict sensitive or gender sensitive reporting as well as elections covering. Activities also facilitate pluralism and participation in media, promote gender equality in both media production and content, and empower citizens with increased media and information literacy competencies. The support to the 2005 Convention supports governance and cultural policy making through capacity buidling of cultural policy makers, civil society organisations and other stakeholders. Also platforms for interaction between governments and civil society for monitoring the Convention and contributing to evidence based culture policy making. Freedom of expression is a guiding principle of the Convention and artistic freedom a monitoring pillar of the convention. Mechanisms for UNESCO to optimize its contribution globally, in targeted countries (16 for culture and more than 80 for media) and within the UN are so called flagship reports where international standards and norms, including UN Action Plans and Conventions, are implemented and followed up, used as reference and for accountability and standard setting. These include the "World Trends Report on Freedom of Expression and Media Development" and the 2005 Convention Global Report "Re:Shaping Cultural Policies". Another activity is to contribute to community media policies and to enhance Media Literacy. Global Standard setting, developing media indicators, is also part of UNESCO’s work. Awareness raising and networking is supported for instance by organising celebrations of international days such as World Press Freedom Day, International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists and World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.