Paraguay promotes a national network to strengthen journalist safety and freedom of expression

In Paraguay, a new project supported by UNESCO through the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) seeks to strengthen freedom of expression and improve safety conditions for the practice of journalism. The initiative includes the creation of a national network of correspondents that will enable the recording, monitoring, and follow-up of cases of violence against journalists across the country.

The project will be implemented by the Interdisciplinary Center for Social Law and Political Economy (CIDSEP) of the Catholic University, in partnership with the Paraguay Journalists' Safety Roundtable (a safety mechanism that triggers responses from national authorities to attacks against journalists), professional associations in the sector, and various academic institutions. Its objective is to consolidate an effective system for documenting and responding to attacks against the press, contributing to access to justice and the reduction of impunity.

Within this framework, five regional workshops and an international seminar will be held, addressing key issues such as freedom of expression, journalist safety, journalistic ethics, and emerging challenges related to the impact of artificial intelligence on the information ecosystem. These training and dialogue spaces will be aimed at journalists, communicators, justice system operators, and other relevant stakeholders.

Cristina Boselli, coordinator of CIDSEP, emphasized that "strengthening freedom of expression is a shared responsibility between citizens and institutions, and journalism plays an essential role in democratic sustainability."

The project also includes the development of a study and a national survey on violence against journalists, as well as the strengthening of the Observatory on Violence against Journalists, currently managed by the Paraguay Journalists' Safety Roundtable. The correspondent network will allow for continuous data updates and follow-up on reported cases, facilitating a more coordinated response between journalists and state institutions.

Paraguay faces significant challenges in this area. Over the past 35 years, cases of murdered journalists and hundreds of incidents of violence have been recorded, with high levels of impunity. In this context, the project aims to provide evidence and tools to support the design of more effective public policies, at a time when the country is debating legislative initiatives aimed at protecting journalistic work.

The initiative also incorporates a forward-looking perspective, integrating into its activities the challenges posed by artificial intelligence for journalism, both in ethical terms and in its impact on the production and circulation of information.

Through this project, UNESCO reaffirms its commitment to promoting safe environments for journalism, strengthening freedom of expression, and ensuring access to reliable information as fundamental pillars of democratic societies.