PARIS, June 20. /TASS/. Russia plans to provide a new major grant to news media in Asia, Africa and Latin America for the development of information and communication in the Global South, TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman said at a meeting of the Bureau of the International Program for the Development of Communication in Paris.

"Russia's voluntary contribution this year will amount to $250,000. The Russian Federation is now one of the three largest donors to the IPDC," said Gusman, who represents Russia at the Bureau. "The Russian news media is open to cooperation with countries of the Global South."

The conference is taking place at the Paris headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO. It is reported that this year's aid will be mainly aimed at the implementation of media projects in Africa.

IPDC Council Chairman Raul Fernandez, who is also Chile’s delegate to UNESCO and ambassador to France, held a conversation with the TASS executive and thanked Russia for support to the program since its inception. Before the Bureau meeting, Guzman also spoke with UNESCO Assistant Director General Tawfik Jelassi, who is also IPDC executive secretary, and gave him a copy of his movie dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of UNESCO.

About the program

The International Program for the Development of Communication was established in October 1980. It was founded by Nobel laureates Sean McBride, an Irish international mediator, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez of Colombia, one of the most widely read authors of the 20th century.

The UNESCO program, which has been around for more than four decades now, has become the leading multilateral forum in the UN system for coordinating assistance to news media. Since its inception, the IPDC has channeled more than $100 million into supporting news media, providing funds to about 2,000 projects in 140 countries.

The attendees of the meeting, which continues on Friday, will examine the challenges in ensuring the safety of members of the media. UNESCO data shows that journalism remains one of the most dangerous professions. According to the organization, 1,600 journalists were killed worldwide between 2005 and 2023.

The meeting is set to result in the adoption of proposals to be included in the agenda of the 34th session of the IPDC Council. The Council will meet in Paris from November 21-22, 2024.