Principles

Objectives

Freedom of the press is a critical element of building strong democracies, enhancing civic participation and good governance, and promoting justice and peace. Article 19 of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

To what extent good governance, transparency, and the participation of civil society in public decision-making determines the development of our partner countries ultimately depends on whether the media can fulfil their core functions: to provide comprehensive information and to act as a critical check on political powers.

The IIJ capacity building programme seeks to enhance the professional performance of print and online media houses as well as to improve the performance of journalism training centres in the partner countries. The programme is based on the principle of networking among participants and engenders cross-border learning and international knowledge communities.