Another 45 men and women journalists working in Iraq have completed safety training courses as part of a programme to reduce the risks facing reporters in the world's most deadly country for media staff.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has welcomed the successful conclusion of the training which was carried out in Baghdad.

"Safety training is of paramount importance for the protection of journalists in high risks locations such as Iraq," said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary. "We are delighted that our colleagues in Iraq were able to learn skills which will stand them in good stead in their work."

The journalists, all working for media covering the conflict which has claimed the lives of more than 260 Iraqi media staff over the past five years, attended two training courses, organized and implemented by the Iraqi Media Safety Group (IMSG), with the support of the International Federation of Journalists and the International News Safety Institute (INSI). The first session took place on 15 and 16 December followed by the second one from 18 to 19 December.

The closing ceremony of this safety training was attended by officials from offices of the Iraqi President and Prime Minister.

The IFJ encourages media professionals and the Iraqi government to engage in a constructive dialogue for better protection of journalists in Iraq.

For more information contact the IFJ at + 32 2 235 2207

The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 123 countries worldwide