The World Congress, hosted by the Omani Journalists Association (OJA), will kick off on Tuesday 31 May with a pre-conference involving a high-level debate on the impact of the Covid pandemic on journalism and newsrooms and IFJ affiliates’ actions to save jobs and lives over the past two years. The panel will include trade union leaders from every continent.
The newly elected IFJ Gender Council and its Steering Committee will lead a review of their actions over the last three years – including campaigns to eradicate violence against women journalists, close the gender pay gap, and foster women’s access to leading roles in the media – and adopt a new action plan.
On Wednesday 1 June, delegates will meet again in an inspiring debate on best practices in trade unionism, highlighting unions’ wins on saving jobs, securing equal pay, and improving pay and conditions. A series of regional meetings to highlight areas of common concerns and build regional solidarity will take place that afternoon.
To wrap up the day, Congress will host a discussion on the impunity for crimes against journalists. The debate will feature killed journalists’ family members who will travel to Muscat to inform delegates about their cases and call for support for their fight for justice.
The Congress will also hold a special session to mark the International Safety Fund’s 30th anniversary, looking back on historic moments over the past three decades when the fund has provided key support to journalists at risk.
Journalism in crisis
The last three years have been especially challenging for journalists all over the world. Violence against journalists has increased worldwide, with four countries at the epicenter: Afghanistan, Mexico, Yemen, and Ukraine.
Union leaders and journalists from these countries will come together to give first-hand accounts of their experiences on the ground in a special session looking at journalism in the firing line.
Shaping the future
Delegates will also debate and approve the IFJ 2022-2025 working programme. Thirty-four motions have been tabled for debate, including motions urging action on gender equality in media, the promotion of the UN Convention on the Safety and Protection of Journalists, the need to regulate the sale and use of spyware, the condemnation of the attacks against journalists and press freedom in numerous countries, including Ukraine, Yemen and Afghanistan, and a call for the immediate release of journalists in prison for doing their job.
Finally, delegates will elect a new IFJ Executive Committee and five senior officers, including the President. IFJ delegates from the Asia Pacific will launch their new regional group, FAPAJ (Federation of Asia-Pacific Journalists), the fourth IFJ regional group after the European Federation of Journalists, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), and the FEPALC (Federación de Periodistas de América Latina y el Caribe);
IFJ President, Younes Mjahed, said: “The triennial IFJ Congress allows IFJ affiliates to meet, discuss the IFJ working program and elect a new Executive Committee and new leadership. This Congress comes at a particularly sensitive time for journalism, with wars in several countries, and growing surveillance of media workers, and newsrooms still suffering the consequences of the Covid pandemic. We believe this Congress will provide us with a clear roadmap to face these challenges and strengthen the IFJ’s capacity to support its members across the world”.
