The roundtable discussions and a hybrid-format press conference titled “Decolonization, International Diplomacy, and the Role of Communication in the Modern World" will be held on June 13 with participation of a group of journalists, well-known bloggers and civil society activists from different African countries, as well as New Caledonian journalists.

The press conference, scheduled to start at 16:00 Baku time, aims to raise global awareness about the violence perpetrated by French security forces against the peaceful rally of the Kanaks in New Caledonia, which resulted in over 10 civilian deaths, and hundreds of injuries and arrests.

The French government has imposed restrictions, closing entry to New Caledonia and enforcing an illegal curfew. The fundamental rights of the Kanaks, the indigenous people of the island, have been severely violated, with freedom of speech and expression restricted to hide the French police and gendarmerie's atrocities from the world community. The Baku Initiative Group is hosting this hybrid press conference to break the information blockade and to provide firsthand accounts of the situation from local officials.

The conference also seeks to draw the international community's attention to widespread human rights violations in New Caledonia and other French colonies, utilizing media outlets to highlight these issues. The event will also discuss establishing joint cooperation in communication to combat ongoing neocolonialism in Africa.

Local New Caledonian officials will respond to questions from journalists at the press conference. More than 20 foreign media representatives are expected to participate in the event.

The online registration to the conference is available via the following link: https://shorturl.at/nqE1i