On Wednesday 14 October, 2020, the EU Delegation in Rwanda participated in the opening ceremony of a 3 day training for journalists on human rights and judicial reporting organized by Legal Aid Forum in partnership with Rwanda Media Commission (RMC) and Rwanda judiciary with financial support of the European Union.

The training is taking place in the context of the project; “Promoting freedom of expression and its favourable legal framework in Rwanda” implemented by Legal Aid Forum. Sixty media practitioners including senior journalists, investigative journalists, media owners and editors are expected to benefit from this training.

The training will equip journalists with skills in judicial and human rights reporting so that beneficiaries get the right information in the correct manner. It will also increase the self-confidence of journalists and reduce self-censorship by way of exploring rights and limitations concerning freedom of expression as it will explore the rights of journalists as well as their duties.

In his message; EU Ambassador Nicola Bellomo said, "We commend the efforts of all stakeholders involved in this training, noting the importance of the partnership between the media and the Judiciary. We recognize the major efforts of the Government of Rwanda on improving the legal framework around freedom of expression and access to information, for instance, with regard to the recent changes in the penal code.”

He added; “During this global covid-19 pandemic, the role of journalists in ensuring Rwandan citizens have accurate information is more critical than ever. EU is currently supporting a media project across Great Lakes region to improve reliable journalism during Covid19”.

Speaking to media, Ambassador Bellomo and Rwanda’s Chief Justice Faustin Ntezilyayo noted that the training should empower the media to confidently report on judicial matters without interfering with judicial procedures and avoid speculative reporting by allowing courts to pronounce verdicts.

The training will take place from 14-16 October 2020 in Kigali.

Read the full speech of the EU Ambassador here: