UNESCO Helps Angola’s Reporters Turn Rights Into Everyday Practice

The workshop formed part of UNESCO’s work to promote freedom of expression, improve access to information and strengthen protections for media professionals.

For journalists, knowing their rights and understanding where to turn for support can make a meaningful difference in their daily work, with consequences for everyone who depends on trustworthy news. A UNESCO-supported workshop in Luanda brought together 26 Angolan journalists and media professionals on 1–2 September 2026 to deepen their understanding of freedom of expression, access to information and journalist safety, creating space for practical learning and discussion with national institutions.

Bringing Legal Rights Into Everyday Reporting

The two-day initiative was funded by the Norwegian Embassy in Angola and implemented by DN Consultoria, identified as the Observatório para Direitos Humanos e Democracia, in coordination with Angola's Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. Participants explored national and international legal frameworks that support journalism, connecting these protections to the questions and challenges they face in their professional lives.

Interactive exercises gave the journalists opportunities to examine real-world situations through a human rights perspective and exchange useful approaches with colleagues. The sessions drew on UNESCO resources, including the latest World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development report, published in December 2025, which examines media freedom, journalist safety and changes in the digital information landscape. These discussions helped participants identify practical ways to respond to challenges in their daily reporting.

Making Journalist Safety a Shared Responsibility

The workshop formed part of UNESCO's work to promote freedom of expression, improve access to information and strengthen protections for media professionals. Its approach reflected the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which supports national and regional efforts to prevent attacks, protect journalists and prosecute those responsible for violence against them.

The framework pays particular attention to the specific risks faced by women journalists, recognising that effective protection must respond to different experiences within the profession. For the public, the importance of these protections reaches beyond individual newsrooms: journalists need a safe environment to gather reliable information, ask questions and contribute to open debate about issues affecting people's lives.

Opening Dialogue With Angola's Media Institutions

A closing round table brought journalists and national stakeholders together to discuss mechanisms supporting freedom of expression and journalist safety in Angola. Journalist and lawyer Mírian Jai moderated the discussion, with contributions from Albano Pedro, representing the Ministry of Telecommunications, Information Technology and Social Communication; Paulo Mateta, Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Angolan Regulatory Authority for Social Communication; and Mário Maiato, Chair of the Angolan Journalists' Union Council on Ethics and Professional Conduct.

The exchange created an opportunity to connect journalists' working experiences with the responsibilities of public institutions, media regulators and professional bodies. UNESCO presented the initiative as a contribution to a safer environment for independent journalism in Angola, combining stronger knowledge of rights with dialogue among the people and organisations involved in protecting them.