The initiative aims to prepare African reporters for the upcoming 2011 COP meeting in Sandton, South Africa. Two African fellows have been selected to cover Cancun and will be producing print and radio stories for distribution to newsrooms across the continent.
The purpose of the UNFCCC is to attain stabilisation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to a level that prevents dangerous interferences with the climate system. After the less than successful COP15, Mexico has been assigned the task to create an environment where a legally binding agreement would be more viable.
UNESCO's Prof Fackson Banda says, "Africa is the continent hardest hit by climate change yet benefits least from the current international agreements. It is crucial that African countries put their concerns on the table and push for solutions that respond to their specific problems. Apart from civil society, the media have a responsibility to communicate Africa's climate change concerns through various print and electronic means."
IPS Africa's Paula Fray said the partnership was the start of the region's preparation to ensure that African reporters were able to attend and cover the South African meeting in Johannesburg next year.
"We are reaching out to all our donor partners with a holistic plan to ensure that the Johannesburg meeting will not only be well attended by reporters but also well covered. To do this, we will strengthen our editorial and training focus on climate change over the next 18 months and this partnership with UNESCO allows us to start this process early."
For more information or interviews contact Prof Fackson Banda, UNESCO via email gro.ocsenu@adnab.f or Paula Fray, IPS Africa at gro.spi@yarfp.
