New UNESCO Officer in Charge renews dynamism in strengthening normative support to building competitive knowledge societies in Tanzania

UNESCO plays a leading role in supporting improvements in norms and standards that accelerate the realization of peaceful, just and inclusive societies in Tanzania. Specifically, through the implementation of the Communication and Information country programme UNESCO promotes the free flow of information and image as an indispensable pillar that enables and advances the promotion and protection of human rights and sustainable development.

Mr Michel Toto, new Officer in Charge in Tanzania rallies a renewed approach to UNESCO’s normative support to promoting information as a public good, focusing on five key priorities of national importance which are – Media viability and independence, Human Capital Development, Legal and Policy Environment including working conditions, Safety and Security of Journalists, Media and Information Literacy, and Digital Citizenship.

Mr Toto builds on sector achievements, in encouraging the deployment of substantive expertise and policy support, and strengthening the knowledge base on good practices and lessons learned from regional and national experiences in its normative support work. UNESCO is doing more to engage the Government through joint planning and programming, awareness-raising and advocacy, and facilitation of resources and partnerships building towards strengthening citizen’s capabilities to identify, produce, process, transform, disseminate and use information to build and apply knowledge for human development.

With the launch of the new UN Sustainable Cooperation Development Framework (UNSDCF), UNESCO champions the Media for Sustainable Development flagship programme that aligns key actors on government priorities related to Information, Communication and Information Technology. The programme sets results-oriented, inclusive strategies and initiatives to enhance sector contribution to sustainable development, evidence based planning, and strategic mobilization of partners and resources to effectively implement, monitor and report on the key actions identified within the joint Government and UN Framework.