Funded by Japan and elaborated in partnership with the Regional Press Development Institute () and the Ukrainian Prosecutors' Training Center, the comprehensive training span 8 months and include a total of three trainings for 60 prosecutors and the development of an online course for all Ukrainian prosecutors.
The first of three training sessions, held in Kyiv from the 27-29 August 2024, brought together 23 prosecutors (7 women and 16 men) from all regions across Ukraine to participate in in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing on international and regional standards on freedom of expression and access to information.
The training also included the participation of 5 journalists who engaged in an interactive discussion with the prosecutors. This enabled journalists to share good practices and experiences regarding journalistic methods for collecting evidence, and the threats and attacks they face while reporting.
Several prosecutors expressed their appreciation for the training and its content, highlighting how the course has significantly expanded their understanding of freedom of expression, access to information, and issues surrounding the safety of journalists.
In Ukraine, at least 18 journalists have been killed in the line of duty since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Despite this, Ukrainian journalists have continued to report from the frontlines, ensuring people in Ukraine and in the rest of the world remain informed.
It was interesting to hear the opinions of international and Ukrainian experts regarding the issues of investigations of criminal offences and ways to overcome challenges. Now I better understand which recommendations of the European Court should be taken into account in one's own practice and what to pay attention to in the activities of media workers. We also discussed the notion of public interest, the identification of journalists and their rights. I will definitely recommend my colleagues to attend such events.
Following this training, the Ukrainian version of UNESCO’s was launched at the Ukrainian Investigative Journalists Conference, held from 12-14 September 2024 in Kyiv. In total, more than 200 media professionals from 17 Ukrainian regions and 9 additional countries attended the launch. This Conference was organized by to highlight the vital work of Ukrainian journalists to report on the war, contributing to transparency and accountability and enabling people to receive public interest and essential information, which is of particular importance in crisis and conflict situations.
Building on these discussions, UNESCO, RPDI, and the Ukrainian Prosecutors’ Training Center will conduct two additional trainings in the coming months. These sessions will focus on various threat typologies faced by journalists, methods for assessing evidence, and techniques for conducting effective contextual analyses. Additionally, the trainings will address issues related to criminal defamation, protection of journalistic sources, safeguarding victims and witnesses, and fostering international cooperation in cases involving crimes against media professionals.
This seminar was a real "brainstorming", which I was missing. We talked a lot about where and how to look for information. I drew a parallel between journalistic and prosecutorial work, because we both look for facts and evidence, and collect information from various sources. It was interesting to learn how to analyze the collected data and in which articles and international documents information can be found.
This project is part of UNESCO’s ongoing Judges’ Initiative, which has strengthened the skills of over 36,000 judicial actors since 2013 on international legal standards for freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.
Through the emergency response programs, funded by Japan, UNESCO provides essential protective equipment, mental health support, and trainings to support journalists in navigating these dangerous conditions. Additionally, UNESCO advocates for policies that protect press freedom and seek to reduce impunity for crimes against journalists, in particular through its Global Media Defense Fund.
International legal standards on freedom of expression, access to information and safety of journalists
