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A fully funded program for journalists from Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine to prepare for and cover the COP29 in Baku/Azerbaijan

Climate change affects our lives in many ways, environmentally, socially and economically. Reporting on issues related to climate change is becoming increasingly important for journalists in Arab countries, but it also poses many challenges as it requires scientific knowledge and a good understanding of the political and financial background of international climate negotiations. It is also crucial for journalists to be informed about climate action in their own countries and its impact on people’s lives, as well as their country’s national commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement.

This year, QARIB is offering 15 journalists from Iraq, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon the opportunity to participate in a training programme on climate change reporting, followed by coverage of the 29th UN Conference of the Parties (summit) on climate change, COP29, which will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. This programme will allow journalists to become familiar with the concepts related to climate change, the reporting techniques specific to this field and to dive deep into the specific debates of the upcoming COP29. The programme will be led by Suzanne Baaklini, an accomplished journalist on environmental and climate change issues with more than 25 years of experience at the Beirut-based media outlet l’Orient le Jour. The programme is divided into three phases. If you are interested in the topic and meet the eligibility criteria, apply now until 01 August!

The program is divided into three phases.

Phase I: Preparation (September & October)

• Between 01 September and 31 October preparatory online information, training and mentoring sessions (in Arabic) will be held to develop a clear and sound concept for covering the COP29, based on the initial concept idea (to be submitted with the application, see below).
• The information sessions will be conducted by experts from academia, think tanks and NGOs, and the topics will be selected according to the needs of the participants. They will most likely cover complex topics such as climate finance, and will be held online (appr. one time every two weeks for a maximum of 2 hours.)
• During this preparation phase, Suzanne will also conduct the trainings and the 1-to-1 mentoring sessions that will allow each candidate to refine their concepts for the COP29. The topics for the training sessions will be tailored to the needs of the group and will also last no longer than appr. 3 hours per week. The mentoring sessions will be organised individually between Suzanne and the participants so that they fit in with the participants’ usual working rhythm.
• At the beginning of this preparatory phase, all participants must apply for accreditation for the conference’s blue zone. This very important step will be supported by the QARIB team. The organisation of travel and accommodation will be handled by the Qarib team.

Phase II: Covering the COP29 (11-22 November)

• QARIB will cover the costs of travel, accommodation, visa and meals for all participating journalists attending the COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan for a period of 10 days to implement the plan developed in the first phase and actively report on the conference.
• During their stay in Baku, the group will be supported by Suzanne and a small team of coordinators to help them find their way around the city and the COP29. This support will ensure a focus on reporting from COP29 and facilitate exchange between participants.

Phase III: Follow-up (December)

• The coverage from the COP29 will be followed by a follow-up phase in December that will enable participants to finalize outstanding reports before publication, with mentoring support from Suzanne.

Eligibility

• Journalists from Palestine, Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon, who work as employees or freelancers for print, online, radio, audiovisual or multimedia outlets based in one of the four countries.
• Journalists willing and able to actively participate in all phases of the programme, including travel to the Cop in November 2024 for on-site reporting (all travel expenses will be covered by QARIB).
• Candidates must have the support of a media outlet to publish their stories, see application process below.
• All candidates must be able to match the official accreditation criteria for the COP29: https://onlinereg.unfccc.int/index_media.html
• Candidates must have experience and/or an increased interest in environmental and climate reporting as well as the willingness and ability to produce journalistic reports on these topics.

Application process (Deadline: 01 August 2024)

• Fill the application form on this link, or download it from here, it includes
  • Personal information
  • Information about your supporting media outlet
  • Accreditation related information: Press card, letter of assignment and links to 5 published productions from the past 12 months, preferably relating to climate change and the environment
  • Motivation
  • An outline of your concept for covering the COP29

• Add the following documents to the application form:

1. 1. Your CV
   2. Signed letter of assignment (LoA) from a media organization:
      • LoA must be on official letterhead of a bona fide media organization and addressed to the UNFCCC Press Office.
      • It should be in English.
      • LoA must indicate the name of the media participant, the duration of the assignment and functional title of professional(s) nominated to cover the COP 29.
      • LoA must be signed by an authorized person (e.g. the Publisher or Editor-in-chief). Unsigned letters of assignment and e-mails are not accepted.

1. 3. A scan of your press card

• The application form and the letter of assignment must be filled in English, the work samples may be in Arabic, English or French

Timeline

• All applications must be sent before 01 August 2024 at the latest, at 8:00 PM Amman time, to info@qaribmedia.com
• The selected candidates will be informed on the 15 August 2024
• Selected journalists will be asked to apply for the official accreditation on their own. They will have to register for a press badge by logging into the UNFCCC website, in order to have access to the Cop29 blue zone, where negotiations take place. For that they will be expected to upload all required documents including a press card and an official letter from their media outlet, as well as additional documents such as samples of their work. They will have to do so before the accreditation time is over and will be assisted in this process by the Qarib team.
• Selected candidates are expected to take part in a training and mentoring program in September and October 2024 preceding Cop29 in Baku, that will help them develop an approach for the covering of the summit and skills to do so effectively, and that will require 4-6 hours per week (online).
• Journalists taking part in this program will travel to Baku for 10 days to cover the COP29 in a period between 11-22 November. They have to produce articles/reports in relation with climate change negotiations during the COP29 in November and before the end of the year 2024.

About us:

The Qarib program (www.qaribmedia.com) supports social cohesion and positive democratic developments by improving the representation of minorities and marginalized voices and topics in national and regional discourses through support to media in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine. Qarib is funded by the French development agency AFD and implemented by the French media development agency CFI.