(uniquement en anglais)

UNESCO and France Télévisions are hosting a conference entitled “Migration and integration, Europe’s big challenge. What role do the media play?” 

The event, on the initiative of France Télévisions, WDR and the ZDF with the support of the EBU, and with the high patronage of the President of the French Republic, of the President of the European Parliament and of the Secretary-General of the European Council, is being held on 22 and 23 November at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Conference partners and organisers

About the conference

The Conference will be opened by UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Abdul Waheed Khan, representing the Director-General. Participants at the event will include Brice Hortefeux, French Minister of Immigration, Integration, National Identity and Co-Development; Christine Albanel, French Culture and Communication Minister; and Fadela Amara, French Secretary of State in Charge for Urban Policies.

During the conference, professionals will compare experiences and ideas about four key areas where European broadcasters agree they can contribute to the process of integrating migrants:

• on air presenters, hosts and actors should reflect and give visibility to diversity; 
• close attention should be paid to the way in which information on issues relating to migration and integration is conveyed and analyzed; 
• audiovisual works such as documentaries, films, fiction and cartoons must include all facets of life of the different components 
• a specific human resources policy should be put in place for the media, taking into account the multicultural dimension of society.             

During the first day, the conference will focus on cultural and legal aspects of migration and integration, while the second day will focus on practices in European broadcasting.

EBU Director-General Jean Réveillon and Abdul Waheed Khan, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, will also award the Boundless Prize, attributed to the makers of short videos promoting dialogue and cultural exchange between the north and south of the Mediterranean. The prize was launched a year ago by German broadcaster WDR, France Télévisions, EBU, the Permanent Conference of the Audiovisual Mediterranean Operators (COPEAM) and UNESCO.

On 23 November, a session will be devoted to European broadcasting practices. It will feature the presentation of a toolkit of good practices to improve social and cultural relations by reflecting diversity in information on public service television, the cultural diversity toolkit.

More information

Click here for the conference website.

Click here for the EBU cultural diversity page.