Muscat: Preparations are currently underway for the region's one of the most sought-after conferences for which Oman has been chosen to be the venue, thanks to its religious harmony, freedom of speech, international standing, its respect for the values of the press, press freedom, its respect for journalistic traditions and norms, and the great interest and development in the field of journalistic work and the preservation of rights journalists.
Running upto the 31st Congress of the summit of the International Federation of Journalists (IJF) which will begin on May 31 until June 3, the work teams of the Omani Journalists Association (OJA), represented by the committees for relations, media, marketing, events, secretarial and financial, continue to hold their meetings on a daily basis and give things a fine touch.
Speaking to the Observer Dr Muhammad bin Mubarak al Araimi, President of the Oman Journalists Association, said the Sultanate of Oman has been chosen to be the venue for such a hi-fi conference for many factors.
"When Omani Journalists Association submitted a request to host the General Conference of the International Federation of Journalists in 2022, there was an international consensus from the global journalistic community that this conference will be a luminous sign in the history of international journalistic union work for two reasons, and they are our stance in international issues and the freedom of the press," said Al Araimi.
Talib al Dabbari, Secretary of the Omani Journalists Association, said that the conference's preparations have gone a long way in hosting the 31st congress as a result of the efforts made by the working groups and committees concerned with the conference.
"More than 95 per cent of the preparations have been accomplished so far, whether in terms of receiving the lists of participants, obtaining entry visas to the Sultanate, reserving the conference venue, setting up delegations and accompanying events, in addition to preparing a media plan to benefit as much as possible from this global media presence," Talib al Dabbari said.
There is constant communication happening with the secretariat of the International Federation of Journalists in Brussels to follow up on developments regarding the needs and requirements of these meetings, which is to host elections for a new leadership for the next four years.
As many as 350 journalists and media professionals from all over the world to highlight the various economic, tourism, investment, as well as cultural and historical components of the Sultanate will be a major boost to tourism. Additionally, the site visits arranged for the journalists and media professionals, as well as students of journalism and media in universities and colleges, is expected to benefit from the experiences from the conference.
Dr Aisha bint Hamad al Darmaki, Member of the State Council, the Sultanate, represented by the Omani Journalists Association, having selected for hosting the General Conference of the IFJ, is certainly a landmark achievement credited to the country, and this important initiative would enhance the Sultanate of Oman’s media and cultural position on the global level.
Highlighting the bilateral ties of OJA with the Union of Arab Journalists in hosting such a big conference, Al Sadiq Ibrahim al Ruzaiqi, President of the General Union of Sudanese Journalists, President of the African Federation of Journalists (Union of African Journalists) and Vice-President of the Union of Arab Journalists said that UAJ is all supportive to the conference which is first of its kind in the region.
"The conference will be a new focal point and a starting point for the International Federation of Journalists. With this four day conference, the Omani Journalists Association will assume its appropriate position in the International Federation of Journalists and the Asian Federation of Journalists, in addition to its presence in the General Secretariat and the leadership of the Union of Arab Journalists," Al Ruzaiqi added.
Just as the earlier edition of the conference which was held in Tunisia in 2019, called for adopting an economic model for digital journalism and amending the Charter of Journalistic Ethics in the world, it is strongly expected that the recommendations from the capital, Muscat, will consolidate a balanced Omani thought to the rest of the world.
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