UNESCO JUDGES' INITIATIVE

The UNESCO Judges' Initiative reached its 10^th anniversary on 29 September 2023.

This innovative programme from UNESCO offers comprehensive and practical training to judicial actors on freedom of expression and the international standards governing it.  By engaging with the justice system, the programme contributes to the overall work of the safety of journalists and aims to foster a justice system that is committed to the principle of freedom of expression and countering impunity.  Over 35,000 participants from over 160 countries have engaged with the initiative over the last decade but, with nearly 100 journalists killed every year whilst carrying out their professional duties, there is still much work to be done and so the Judges’ Initiative will continue to support judges as they play a leading role in safeguarding freedom of expression and helping to protect journalists around the world.

The IAP are proud to have partnered with UNESCO to develop Guidelines for Prosecutors on Cases of Crimes against Journalists, published in 2020 and available in 19 languages, which identify key elements to consider in the decision-making process when an alleged crime is committed against a journalist.  The Guidelines served as a basis for the development of a MOOC on Investigating and Prosecuting Crimes against Journalists, which was launched in February 2023 and which has trained over 1,660 prosecutors and legal professionals from more than 90 countries so far.

A UNESCO report – 10 Years of UNESCO’s Judges’ Initiative:  Strengthening the rule of law, freedom of expression and the safety of journalists 2013-2023 – can be found at 10 Years of UNESCO’s Judges’ Initiative: strengthening the rule of law, freedom of expression and the safety of journalists 2013 - 2023 - UNESCO Digital Library