UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

UNESCO, created in 1945, is the UN organization responsible for education, science and culture. UNESCO's mandate is to build peace and sustainable development, deminish poverty and confirm human rights through education, culture and freedom of expression. Supporting education of girls and women, developing vocational and technical education and contributing to freedom of expression, media development and access to information are the thematic focus for the Finnish funding to UNESCO. Educating girls and women promotes gender equality, human rights and sustainable development. UNESCO's TVET policies and programmes support the member states' capacity for developing vocational and technical education, promote poverty reduction and improve youth transitions between education and work life, and prevent social exclusion and radicalization. Freedom of expression and pluralistic and independent media are critical for building healthy democracies and societies. The strategic objective of UNESCO's Communication and Information programme is promoting freedom of expression, media development and access to information and knowledge. The programme's special emphasis is on gender equality, Africa, least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS), as well as youth. Finnish funding to the Communication and Information sector is channeled through the International Program for Development of Communication (IPDC). The projects of the IPDC enhance the capacity of national and local media institutions, support the development of independent media, and develop the education of journalists with special attention to the safety of journalists. The funding for IPDC for 2023-2024 is 400 000 € in total (200 000 € per year).