PARIS, November 28./TASS/. TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman has been elected permanent rapporteur to the Bureau of the UNESCO International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC), Russia’s permanent mission to the organization told TASS.

"This morning elections took place to the IPDC Bureau for the position of rapporteur, which resulted in the election of Mikhail Solomonovich Gusman," the mission said. The only other contender in voting for the position was a representative of Estonia.

The mission issued a statement announcing the election, which notes that Russia "continues to promote the goals of the IPDC." "We stand in favor of ensuring the safety of journalists, promoting media development in Africa, and stepping up project activities," the diplomats said.

The International Program for the Development of Communication was established in 1980. It was initiated by Nobel Prize winners Sean McBride, former Irish foreign minister and noted international mediator, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez, celebrated Colombian man of letters and one of the most widely read writers of the 20th century.

Established under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the IPDC continues to be a leading multilateral forum within the UN system for coordinating assistance to the media. Over the years, the IPDC has channeled more than $100 mln into media support, having sponsored around 2,000 projects in 140 countries.