Human Rights Elections : Journalists Sharpen Reporting Skills

As the October 12 Presidential election approaches, over 30 journalists from the South West and Littoral Regions have acquired skills in human rights-based election coverage. This training occurred during a three-day workshop organised by the UN Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa (UNCHRD). Held from August 12 to 14, 2025 under the theme, "Promoting Human Rights in Electoral Context: Human Rights-Based Election Coverage," the workshop aimed to integrate human rights narratives into daily election reporting. Organisers emphasised the importance of equipping journalists with skills to navigate the critical intersection of electoral reporting and human rights protection.
The Programmes Officer at UNCHRD, Kiven Fonyuy stated that Cameroon’s Presidential election requires a contextual understanding of human rights, democracy, and peace promotion, where journalists play a vital role. He outlined their responsibility in shaping narratives, promoting peace, and ensuring voters have access to accurate information. Kiven Fonyuy urged reporters to approach election coverage with a sense of responsibility, contextual awareness, and respect for public order. He emphasized that during elections, journalists must inform, monitor, and protect citizens' rights to make informed choices in a peaceful environment. The workshop also aimed to bring journalists together to reflect, share experiences, and explore their contributions to a peaceful, rights-compliant electoral process.
Throughout the three days, various aspects of human rights reporting were...