UN Resident Coordinator's Statement on The Capacity Building of Media Professionals on Conflict Sensitive Journalism and Countering Hate Speech

The Minister of Information – Hon. Ebrima Sillah;

The Director of International Press Centre – Mr. Lanre Arogundade;

The President of the Gambia Press Union – Mr. Muhammed S. Bah;

The representative of DSPD, Office of the President – Mr. Noah Touray;

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen;

It is indeed an honour for me — as the representative of the UN Secretary-General in The Gambia and the head of the UN country team — to deliver a keynote address at the opening of this important training of media professionals on conflict sensitive journalism and countering hate speech.

Before proceeding any further, however, I would like to pause here to congratulate the valiant Scorpions on their heroic performance during the Africa Cup of Nations, making it all the way to the quarterfinals on their very first attempt. 

They showed the continent and the world the HUGE potential that this country has, and I suspect that the journalists in this room have just as much potential, and that they will clearly demonstrate it during this training. 

I commend UNESCO for this initiative, thank the International Press Centre for carrying out the training, and warmly welcome the journalists from print, online and broadcast media who have agreed to take part.  The central concept of Conflict-Sensitive Reporting is that violent conflict attracts intense news media attention that requires greater analytical depth and skills to report on it without contributing to furthering violence or overlooking peace building opportunities. 

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

This training is being carried out within the framework of a broader project — financed by the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund — that aims to encourage young women and men to play active roles in ensuring peaceful democratic processes and to be advocates for the prevention of violence and hate speech. 

This training is designed to establish the foundations and imperatives of conflict-sensitive reporting and to clarify the frameworks, tools, techniques, and steps of conflict sensitive journalism. 

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

We all bore witness to the nefarious effects of hate speech during the recently concluded presidential election campaign. 

While, thankfully, it did not spiral out of control, the hateful statements we heard underline the importance of dealing with this issue as a matter of urgency.

And, indeed, that is what we have been doing and that is what this training is continuing to do. 

Prior to and during the election campaign, the United Nations supported the Inter-Party Committee and the Gambia Press Union to raise awareness of this issue and to build the capacity of journalists to address it.

UNESCO trained journalists on fact-checking and supported the Gambia Press Union to establish The Gambia’s first ever online fact-checking platform — factcheckgambia.org — a site that I now regularly visit when I need to separate fact from fiction in the news. 

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

The Gambia is a fledgling democracy, a diverse country of many tribes that is navigating a delicate transition from authoritarian rule to pluralism, human rights, sustainable development, and press freedom. 

The recent presidential election demonstrated that The Gambia is on the right track, but it also showed that intercommunity tensions persist. 

There are some bad actors who seek political advantage by pitting tribes against one another using inflammatory language, hate speech, and even open incitement to violence. 

Everyone — politicians, religious leaders, community leaders, women, men and young people — have a role to play in putting an end to this practice. 

But journalists have a particularly important role to play, and your task is very sensitive.  You must expose hate speech for what it is, but you should not amplify its message. 

And you must walk the fine line between countering hate speech and promoting the freedom of speech, which is a fundamental human right. 

These are difficult things to do, but I am sure that this training will equip you with the knowledge, skills and tools you will need to do them well. 

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

The Secretary-General of the United Nations has said on numerous occasions that a free press is essential for peace, justice, sustainable development, and human rights.  No democracy can function without press freedom, which is the cornerstone of trust between people and their institutions.

I would add that free and fair reporting is essential to good governance and that vibrant and responsible media are vital to advancing the goals of democracy, development, rule of law and respect for diversity. 

But, unfortunately, we are living in an age of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, where it can be difficult for an ordinary person to tell the difference between what is true and what is not.  This is not just a problem in The Gambia, but worldwide, and journalists are at the front line in this battle.  Ensuring that journalists reporting of conflict is more insightful, comprehensive, balance, is not only critical for avoiding the flaming of division or enticing of hatred in sensitive context but also for promoting understanding and tolerance necessary to positively influence conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

With this training, UNESCO and the International Press Centre will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and tools you need to succeed in this new environment.

And by “succeed,” I mean fearlessly reporting the facts — objectively and dispassionately — addressing hate speech when and where you encounter it and doing your utmost to always protect the fundamental and precious human right that is freedom of speech. 

I wish you a most productive training.

Thank you.