In Tashkent, a circle of the training seminars was started for participants of the election process as part of the Plan of practical measures for the implementation of project activities of the UNDP Office in Uzbekistan in conjunction with the CEC, aimed at providing assistance for the period of the 2019 election campaign.

Training events for participants in the election process from the series of training seminars on the theme “The role of the media in the upcoming parliamentary and local elections” will be held from November 13 to 15, 2019.

The first such training seminar was held today for senior officials of the CEC Secretariat.

As the CEC member Gulnosa Rakhimova noted in her welcoming speech: “The main purpose of the training is to familiarize the electoral process participants with the field of electoral management, the principles of election coverage, the rights and obligations of the media in the electoral process, the code of conduct in the election campaign, and training them in the proper use of concepts that define the electoral system.”

International experts from UNDP were involved in the training workshops.

“This is a multifaceted and ambitious project. We offer a world-class training opportunity to a group of journalists. This will really change the situation, develop the necessary skills, especially in the field of online media,” said Georgy Baratashvili, UNDP project manager.

It was noted that journalists are one of the most important tools of democracy, and democratic elections are impossible without the media. Free and fair elections are not only freedom of choice and understanding of how to vote, but also the process of involvement: voter participation in public campaigns and the availability of information about political parties, candidates and the election process itself.

In addition, the mass media act as the most important tool of democratic elections, ensuring the transparency of the process. Therefore, it is necessary to train journalists and representatives of electoral bodies so that they better understand the process of monitoring and reporting on election campaigns, ethical standards, international standards and ways to effectively use social networks, including their specific information requirements.

The next thematic training seminars will be held for employees of the International Press Center at the CEC and its regional branches, as well as for national journalists which accredited for the period of preparation and conduct of the elections.

Press Service

Central Election Commission