African Court Equips Journalists with Human Rights Reporting Skills

By GNA 

Oct 30, 2021

The African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights has upscaled strategic module to create a pool of knowledge-based Senior Editors and Journalists to publicise the mandate of the African Continental Court.

The media training for Senior Editors and Journalists on the work of the African Court therefore seeks to create a robust pool of journalists and editors across the continent who will be knowledge-based, positive and constructive in sensitising and increasing the awareness of the Court.

The trained journalists will also Train others where possible for outreach activities in their respective areas and also exert pressure on the States as they pro-actively push for implementation of the Court’s Judgments.

The ultimate aim is to create a vibrant and pro-active pool of journalists who are knowledgeable on the work of the Court and report accurately its activities on a regular basis.

Dr Robert Eno, African Court Registrar stated at the opening ceremony in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania that the objectives of training was to establish within the continent, a special pool of skilful and knowledge-based journalists willing to publicize the work of the Court in the protection of human rights.

He said the training from October 28th to 30th also seeks to enhance professional skills on how to report African Court activities for improved coverage, create public awareness and understanding.

“Bolster a pool of Journalists to be called “Media Champions of the African Court” who would be tasked to consistently raise awareness, create and improve a better understanding of the Court to the public and encourage ratifications and declarations.

The African Court Registrar said the Core Journalists group would also act as pressure group on implementation of African Court’s Judgments; help in building a network of professional journalists/editors that promotes the exchange of experience.

He said the training also focuses on the development of senior journalists and editors who can act as future mentors for younger journalists interested in the work of the African Court.

It forms part of the African Court’s Communication Strategy to ensure that Information and Communication policy forms part of its comprehensive strategy and must be placed at the heart of its work and not as an add-on to its activities.

Dr Eno said the pool would be schooled on the broad framework of the African Union agenda on integration, development and shared values captured in the Agenda 2063 initiative and the African Governance Architecture (AGA).

Within the framework of the strategic module, scores of editors and journalists from Southern, Central, Western and Northern Regions would be trained.

It would help in building a network of professional editors and journalists that promote the exchange of experience, competition for better quality of work and the development of senior journalists and editors who could act as future mentors for younger journalists interested in the work of the Court.