Strengthening capacity of journalists ahead of Elections

November 14, 2019

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The United Nations Development Programme in Uzbekistan (UNDP) and the Central Election Commission of Uzbekistan (CEC) commenced a series of trainings for representatives of Election Commissions and accredited journalists on the “Role of Media in the upcoming Parliamentary and Local Elections”.


The training will take place from 13 – 15 November 2019 and aimed at strengthening journalism and reporting community, and to boost professional reporting standards and ethics amongst journalists and editors. We expect that around 200 journalists and members of Election commissions will be trained over the series of trainings.

"This is a broad and ambitious project. We are offering the opportunity for world-class training to a diverse group of journalists. It is a chance to really make a difference by boosting skills, especially in the areas of online media." – said George Baratashvili, Project Manager UNDP.

The journalists are essential to democracy, and a democratic election is impossible without media. A free and fair election is not only about the freedom to vote and the knowledge of how to cast a vote, but also about a participatory process where voters engage in public campaigns and have adequate information about political parties, candidates and the election process itself in order to make informed choices. Furthermore, media acts as a crucial mediator to democratic elections, safeguarding the transparency of the process. We, therefore, train journalists and the election commission staff in order to enhance their understanding of electoral campaigns monitoring and reporting process, code of ethics, international standards and how to effectively use social media platforms including their specific requirements for information.

UNDP Uzbekistan supports Central Election Commission in building the capacity of electoral staff, various stakeholders and increasing participation of women, youth and people with disabilities in the election process. The project also supports post-election legal reform process and design of a new, long-term strategic plan of the CEC which goes well in line with key priorities of the UNDP Uzbekistan.