Baghdad: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched an intensive training course in Baghdad today, targeting journalists from various Iraqi governorates. The course, titled “Peace – Safety – Protection,” is part of its pioneering project “Protecting Journalists, Protecting Democracy.”

According to National Iraqi News Agency, this project seeks to address various types of threats and violations by providing journalists with the necessary cognitive and skill tools to ensure their protection, both while performing their duties and within journalistic work environments. The first day of the course included three core themes: safety, security, and protection. The training addressed institutional and personal planning mechanisms to address risks, methods of self- and collective prevention, as well as procedural follow-up strategies to confront any potential attacks.

Modern threat patterns and methods for dealing with them were also covered, enabling journalists to enhan
ce their preparedness and improve their ability to rapidly assess risks in the field. UNESCO emphasized that this training is evidence of its commitment to supporting press freedom as a cornerstone of any democratic system, and its firm belief that protecting journalists protects the fundamental right to access information and the right of society as a whole to defend its freedoms.

This initiative comes at a time of increasing challenges and risks facing media workers, including field journalists, content creators, and social media influencers.