Two veteran Zambian journalists, Mrs Juliana Mwila and Mr Gilbert Maimbo, have been elected members of UNESCO’s communication and information sector for the years 2015 and 2016.
This follows the duo’s successful candidature floated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services during the recent UNESCO General conference in Paris, France.
Mrs Mwila who once served as Director General at the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, ZNBC, before her retirement later as Director for Press and Planning in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services, will sit on UNESCO’s Information For All Programme, IFAP, while Mr Maimbo, a former Director of Zambia News and Information Service, ZANIS, will represent the country on UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication, IPDC.
“The election of the duo to sit on these important UNESCO organs, is a source of immense pride and honour to the Zambian media fraternity and the country at large. It is also a sign of the confidence the international community has in Zambia’s media and governance system,” says Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Mr Godfrey Malama, who attended the UNESCO General conference in Paris.
Mr Malama added that Government was confident that Mrs Mwila and Mr Maimbo will effectively represent the country on this high profile assignment given their longstanding experience and expertise in the communication and information sector.
The last decade has witnessed technological developments at a scale and speed unprecedented in the history of humankind.
IFAP, an inter-governmental programme created in 2000, is UNESCO’s response to the challenges and opportunities of the information society while the IPDC, on the other hand, not only provides support for media projects, but also seeks to secure a healthy environment for the growth of free and pluralistic media in developing countries.
Congratulations to the two journalists. Represent Zambia well.