At its 20th session in 2000, the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) approved 18 projects in Africa totalling US $547,000.

They included two regional projects: one for "training to facilitate preservation of the audiovisual archives of the television stations of the Portuguese-speaking African countries" and the other for an "introductory seminar on the drafting of laws governing the electronic media".

At national level the IPDC approved and financed a number of projects, some details of which are given below:

(i) For Cameroon three projects were approved: "Computerization of the documentation service of Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV)", "Establishment of Mbalmayo and Meiganga women's community radio stations" and "Strengthening of the independent newspaper The Herald". All three are being implemented, the equipment has been ordered, and training is being completed.

(ii) In Cape Verde, equipment has been delivered for the project "Development of the magazine Artiletra".

(iii) Equipment has been ordered for the project on "strengthening of production capacity at Radio Comores".

(iv) In Lesotho, the project for financing a "central printing house for the independent press" is being implemented, and the equipment has been ordered.

(v) For Malawi, the project for "strengthening the capacity of Television Malawi" was approved, although financing has gone mainly to the pilot centre and evaluation.

(vi) In Mali, the project for "ENG and video production equipment" for Malian television is being implemented: the equipment has been ordered but has not yet been delivered.

(vii) In Mauritius, the project for "setting-up of educational audiovisual archives" is under way, as is staff training.

(viii) In Namibia, the necessary equipment for "computer and web page development" for the Namibia Review, a monthly magazine published by the Ministry of Information, has been delivered. Training and web page development are under way.

(ix) In the Republic of the Congo, the "rehabilitation of the Congolese News Agency (ACI)" has received IPDC financing for the ACI headquarters. The project is being implemented.

(x) In Senegal, the IPDC has financed the "establishment of an advanced media training centre". The equipment for the project has been delivered, and staff training is under way.

(xi) In South Africa, the project for "capacity-building for the Film Resource Unit" has received IPDC financing. The project aims to increase the capacities of the Film Resource Unit - which distributes films with messages encouraging social development in South Africa - by providing it with a computerized management system and training programmes. This operation is designed in particular to establish and consolidate distribution networks in the various communities. The equipment has been ordered and is to be delivered shortly.

(xii) In Zambia, computer equipment has been purchased and delivered for the project "Computerization of Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) newsroom", aimed mainly at improving its operating capacity and covering rural areas of the country. Training of ZNBC staff is under way.

(xiii) For Côte d'Ivoire, the IPDC has approved the project for "training of journalists and media managers in information law", but project implementation has been suspended owing to the political situation in the country.

MAIN ACTIVITIES IN PROGRESS/ TO BE COMPLETED IN 2001

Through the bursary programme of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) in conjunction with the Rede Brasil Sul Communication Company, and sponsored by Brazil and the Organization of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, seven Portuguese-speaking journalists (from Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Sao Tomé and Principe) received bursaries to attend a three-month training course on television technology from 15 April 2001 in Brazil.

At its 21st session in 2001, the IPDC approved 24 projects in Africa totalling US $600,000, a total that may be revised upwards in December 2001, depending on the level of voluntary contributions to the IPDC.

Among these projects is a regional project called "RAP 21: African press network for the 21st century", whose aim is to mobilize African journalists to defend and promote freedom of the press wherever it is threatened, to provide help and moral support for colleagues who are detained or in distress, and above all to establish a permanent system for exchange of articles between African newspapers, to offer advice and technical/management assistance to private newspapers in Africa and to act as an interface between development agencies and the African press.

The other projects approved are the national projects listed below:

(i) In Benin, a project for "strengthening the communication system of the Benin Press Agency (ABP)": this aims to improve national facilities for collecting and distributing media information.

(ii) In Cameroon, the project for "strengthening the capacity of the Cameroon Media Observatory" is designed to help restrict legal action against journalists, since the Observatory will first rule on any breaches of professional conduct. Still in Cameroon, two approved projects on "community radio for the rural women of Meyomessala" and "community radio for women of South Cameroon" have been merged.

(iii) In Cape Verde, the project for "installation of an internal communication network at the Inforpress news agency" is intended to provide the Inforpress news agency with the new-generation technical facilities it needs to perform its role.

(iv) In Ethiopia, the IPDC contribution to the project for "human capacity-building at the Ethiopian Mass Media Training Institute" will enable the Institute's staff to update their professional knowledge. (v) In Ghana, the IPDC has chosen the project for "strengthening Radio Univers" to provide the latter with new equipment for improving its programming and broadcasting.

(vi) In Kenya, the IPDC has decided this year to finance the development of free press institutions.

(vii) In Liberia, the IPDC has chosen to enhance the training of media personnel.

(viii) In Mali, the IPDC has approved the financing of a "community radio for local development".

(ix) In Swaziland, approval was given to "development of a media resource centre for the National Association of Journalists" as well as a project to establish a "Swaziland News Agency".

(x) In Senegal, two projects were approved: equipment for "San Voix" FM, the radio station for vulnerable groups, and a project to provide equipment for the newspaper Le Témoin, a new area of citizenship.

(xi) For the Seychelles, the IPDC has approved "replacement of radio recording and editing equipment" for the national radio station.

(xii) The following projects have also been approved: Democratic Republic of the Congo, "DTP equipment for the Tribune de la Femme newsletter"; Gambia: "Archiving for Gambia Radio and Television Services"; South Africa: "Women's Net training"; Malawi: pilot project for financing a "printing press for Malawi Polytechnic's Journalism Department"; Niger: "Internet connection: equipment, installation and training"; Togo: "Promotion of the press by and for women"; and Uganda: "Reinforcement of the Nakaseke multipurpose community telecentre".