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On May 3, 2019, JICA Tajikistan supported the International Press Freedom Day in Dushanbe "Media Potential to Contribute a Culture of Sustainable Peace and Democracy", together with other international donors such as OSCE, the US Embassy, British Embassy, and European Union. The aim of the Conference was at celebrating the International Day of the Freedom of Speech and at assisting and affirming the importance of the freedom of expression and the freedom of access to information. The Conference was organized by Tajik Mass Media Council.

During the Opening Session, Mr. Hideki TANABE, the Chief Representative of JICA, remarked the importance of the freedom of speech as the base for Democracy in a society and in this context, the roles of the Press, which is not only important but truly indispensable, without which Democracy cannot be discussed at all. He also mentioned that in case of Japan it took more than 70 years at least from the time of ending Samurai Period and starting of social discussions on that issue until the time when the Human Right are not only specified in the constitution but largely, accepted by the society, which happened only after the World War II.

There were more than 100 participants and 15 guest speakers from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Afghanistan, who were journalists, activists, NGO workers as well as a representative of Government of Tajikistan. Guest, panel speakers and participants discussed issues of legal, economic and ethical problems for journalism and media to play a key role in building democratic society as well as issues of new technologies. The participants showed their interest in how journalists should deal with intertwined dilemma in media, in particular internet, on which various parties could try to exert their influence for their own purposes and intentions through such as propaganda and fake-news. Participated journalists shared problems which they face in their countries and deepened their understanding on new trends of challenges.

At the end of the Conference, the participants adopted a series of recommendations and prizes were awarded to outstanding journalists in Tajikistan.