NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS DPI TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR BROADCASTERS AND JOURNALISTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BEGINS AT HEADQUARTERS

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS DPI TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR BROADCASTERS AND JOURNALISTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BEGINS AT HEADQUARTERS

The United Nations Training Programme for Broadcasters and Journalists from Developing Countries begins its eighteenth session today at Headquarters, under the direction of the Department of Public Information (DPI).

The Programme was established in 1980 by the General Assembly, which requested the Secretary-General to initiate an in-service training programme for broadcasters and journalists from developing countries. Eighteen junior and mid-level journalists and broadcasters, including three sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation of Germany, are taking part in the six-week programme, which ends on 22 October.

This year's participants work for media organizations in Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Congo, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iran, Liberia, Malaysia, Namibia, Syria and Zambia. The programme is designed to supplement national, regional and other international training opportunities.

During the Training Programme, the participants will:

-- Receive in-service training in DPI and take part in the work of the General Assembly;

-- Undertake professional work assignments and receive briefings from United Nations officials on issues of priority to the Organization;

-- Visit major media organizations in New York and Washington, D.C. to observe their operations; and

-- Serve as temporary United Nations correspondents, covering United Nations meetings and activities on behalf of their home media organizations.

The Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Kensaku Hogen, will welcome the participants and formally open the programme at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 15 September, in Conference Room 9.

- 2 - Note No.5521 14 September 1998

Participants in 1998 Programme

Following are the countries, names and affiliations of the 18 participants in the 1998 United Nations Training Programme:

Bangladesh: Md. Motiar Rahman, Daily Independent Bosnia and Herzegovina: Refik Hodzik, DANI Cambodia: Sorphea Chey, Kampuchea National TV China: Guan Juanjuan, China Radio Congo: Florent Sogni Azou, Ministry of Communications El Salvador: Carolos Armando Dada, Teleprensa Canal 33 Fiji: Maria Goretti Tagivetaua, Island Networks Corp. Georgia: Tamar Barbakadze, State Television and Radio Haiti: Ghislene Meance, Radio Galaxie Iran: Khosrow Soltani, Iran News Liberia: Augustus Saypaye Nimley, United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL) Malaysia: Mergawati Zulfakar, The Star Namibia: Leevy-Lee Abrahams, Namibian Broadcasting Corp. Syria: Raida Yassin Waqaf, Syrian TV Zambia: Clara Esnart Masanduka, Zambia Broadcasting Corp.

Friedrich Ebert Foundation Participants

Brazil: Fernanda de Carvalho Papa, Folha de Sao Paulo El Salvador: Milagro Vallecillos, TV 12 Guatemala: Estheiman Amaya, El Regional

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