African Journalists’ Federation and UN Economic Commission Forge Deeper Ties to Advance Development Reporting

The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the continental arm of the International Federation of Journalists, convened with Claver Gatete, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in Addis Ababa on Thursday. The talks centered on strengthening media engagement with Africa’s development agenda and reinforcing journalism’s function as a public good.

The FAJ delegation, led by President Omar Faruk Osman and including Treasurer Maria Luisa Rogério and Steering Committee Member Jean-Claude Coulibaly, discussed the media’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. Participants emphasized how access to reliable information and information integrity underpin inclusive, sustainable development. The delegation also spotlighted journalists’ working conditions and the critical importance of public interest journalism, noting the profession’s indispensable contribution to core areas of UNECA’s mandate.

Discussions also addressed equipping African journalists with the data and specialized expertise required to report effectively on complex development issues. Gatete affirmed UNECA’s commitment to facilitating journalist access to evidence-based information, aiming to amplify African perspectives in policy discourse. He underscored the media’s pivotal role in shaping the continent’s narrative and advancing people-centered development.

“Independent journalism plays an important role in helping people understand the decisions and policies that shape their lives and in supporting informed public debate on Africa’s development,” said FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman. “People-centered development and homegrown solutions are strengthened when citizens, including journalists, have access to reliable information and can contribute fully to public life.”

“We welcome UNECA’s recognition of the vital role journalists can play in its work on Africa’s development priorities,” Osman added. “Closer institutional engagement can help African journalists explain developmental priorities and bring African perspectives into public debate. We remain committed and effectively mobilised to advancing public interest journalism and ensuring journalists partake in conversations about the continent’s future while fulfilling their crucial watchdog role.”

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