Qarib Program Empowers Arab Journalists at COP29

BAKU / PNN /

Thirteen journalists from four Arab countries—Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon—concluded their coverage of the COP29 Global Climate Summit held in the Azerbaijani capital.

Representing independent media outlets spanning print, television, and radio in their respective countries, the journalists produced dozens of reports during the summit. These reports focused on climate change, its potential environmental damages, and the state of climate and environmental challenges in their home countries. The aim was to inform Arab citizens in these nations and beyond about climate change, its impacts on their societies, and how to adopt practices to mitigate its effects for current and future generations.

The participants, who were part of the Qarib programme for climate coverage, also followed key topics discussed during the summit sessions, including climate finance, mitigating climate impacts, and transitioning to green energy.

The journalists expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to participate in COP29, noting that their coverage allowed them and their audiences to delve deeper into environmental and climate issues. They praised the Qarib programme, the French Media Development Agency (CFI), and the French Development Agency (AFD) for supporting their ongoing efforts in independent journalism.

The delegation was overseen by veteran environmental journalist Suzanne Baaklini, with administrative arrangements handled by Mahmoud Houshi. It included representatives and reporters from Palestine’s PNN News Network and Roya Palestine, Iraq’s Yalla News, Lebanon’s Daraj, Raseef, The961, and Beirut Today, as well as independent journalists and influencers from Jordan working across traditional media and social media platforms.

Qarib, an Arab regional project implemented by CFI and funded by AFD, supports independent media outlets in the four countries. The programme aims to enhance the presence and significance of independent journalism in Arab societies.