The GIJC 2010 Organising Comitee of the 6th Global Investigative Journalism Conference, held in Geneva 22-25 April 2010, is proud to announce that the Conference was a great success, despite last minute chaos due to the Islandic volcano. However, the Organising comitee would like to raise its concern about the increasing difficulties encountered by our colleagues from the developing world, particularly from Africa, in getting their visa on time to attend the Conference.
The GIJC 2010 Organising Comitee of the 6th Global Investigative Journalism Conference, held in Geneva 22-25 April 2010, is proud to announce that the Conference was a great success, despite last minute chaos due to the Islandic volcano. More than 500 investigative reporters from around the world attended the four day event, coming from more than 80 countries. Reporters and speakers made their way to Geneva despite terrible travelling conditions.
However, the Organising comitee would like to raise its concern about the increasing difficulties encountered by our colleagues from the developing world, particularly from Africa, in getting their visa on time to attend the Conference. Concerns raised in a former Conference in Lillhammer in 2008 have been confirmed, as several colleagues from Africa could not get a proper visa issued by migration authority to reach the Conference, despite all efforts made by Foreign Affairs officials and Conference organisers. The Organising Comittee observes that making visa procedures more difficult for our colleagues will only hinder international exchanges and the indespensible practice of investigative journalism in their countries.