8 October 2010: About 40 African journalists attended a training workshop on climate change reporting that was held from 8-10 October 2010, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.The workshop was organized by the Africa Climate Policy Centre (ACPC), in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), in the run-up to the Seventh African Development Forum (ADF), scheduled to take place at the same venue from 11-15 October.

Organized around the theme “Getting it right: Reporting climate change for sustainable development in Africa,” the workshop aimed to: improve participants’ understanding of climate change issues and their impacts on Africa; and enable them to report on these issues better so as to raise awareness of climate change and the international climate change negotiations. During the experience-sharing sessions that followed each presentation, the need for climate change specialists and related institutions to improve their communication and dealings with reporters and the media was identified.

In a statement at the opening session, Josué Dioné, Director of the Division for Food Security and Sustainable Development of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), highlighted the vast and increasing glossary of climate change terms and acronyms, noting the need for African journalists to adapt to this rapid increase. He added that due to the highly scientific nature of climate change science, some technical issues may require specialized training in order to enhance reportorial skills. [UNECA Press Release]