DUSHANBE, May 29, Asia-Plus – The 26th Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) opened in Moscow Monday and runs through June 1.
Rano Bobojonova, a teacher at Khujand State University, and Akbarali Sattorov, the head of Tajik Journalists’ Union, are representing Tajikistan at this forum that has brought together some 1,000 people from 150 countries.
According to Bobojonova, the first day of the congress was dedicated to the issues related to protection of journalists.
Representatives of Tajikistan will give papers at roundtable meetings “Expansion of Space of Solidarity Journalists from Eurasian Countries” and “Development of Culture of Tolerance in Media of Countries with Transition Economy” that will be held on May 30.
The five-day Congress is being held in Russia for the first time. High-ranking Russian state officials and public figures as well as representatives from international organizations and numerous international experts will deliver statements at the Congress.
Established in 1926, the IFJ is the most prestigious professional organization uniting some 500,000 media representatives from 150 countries. The Congress convenes every three years to draw up the organization”s development strategy. The IFJ, which has headquarters in Brussels, held the previous Congress in Athens in May 2004.
According to the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, 75 journalists and 32 media staff were killed last year, making 2006 the deadliest year on record. Figures released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) show that some 580 journalists worldwide were killed between January 1992 and August 2006 – the majority were murdered.
