The MOU which fits within the framework of the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity also seeks to reinforce standards and policies related to access to public information, safety of journalists, ending impunity for crimes against journalists, reinforcing the rule of law and the protection of human rights in Africa.

Justice Sylvain Oré, African Court President told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that the signing of the MOU is the fruit of previous successful collaborations between UNESCO and the Continental Court.

He said buildings on these efforts are critical “it is very important to train journalists, it is true, but also the judiciary because the judiciary is indispensable in order to end impunity. “More specifically, the agreement will facilitate capacity building activities such as workshops, training of trainers for judicial training institutes and support exchanges”.

He said the support will also promote inter-regional cooperation, in order to achieve the shared objective of strengthening the regional legal framework and judicial contribution on human rights and in particular freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.

Justice Ore said UNESCO’s association with the African Court began with the organization of an inter-regional dialogue in Arusha, Tanzania, as part of the 2016 commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.

The dialogue facilitated discussion among African judges on international standards on safety of journalists and ending impunity.  It included knowledge sharing on the African human rights framework, the role of inter-regional courts of human rights and ways to promote freedom of expression and journalists safety issues at regional and national levels.

He said the partnership led to a training of members of the judiciary (judges, legal officers, lawyers) in Africa on freedom of expression and the safety of journalists, carried out in 2017.  The project included seminars and the first ever African Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the subject.

The African Court President noted that Judges from 13 different countries, as well as the ECOWAS Court of Justice, attended the seminars, which focused on enhancing the knowledge and understanding of judges on international and regional frameworks concerning freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.

He said nearly 900 participants, from 42 African countries, participated in the MOOC to acquaint themselves on freedom of expression issues, through content tailored to fit the African context.  This MOOC was based on a similar course launched in Latin America, where more than 7,500 judges and legal professionals were trained since 2013.

UNESCO’s ongoing work will also strengthen the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals and in particular SDG 16 for “Peace, justice and strong institutions”.