Inter Press Service (IPS) has signed a content sharing agreement with Al-Jazeera. The agreement provides for sharing of information, cooperation at the local level, working together for coverage in more languages, and broad facilitation of one another’s work.

The agreement seeks to further the coverage of sustainable development issues — a priority of both news organisations. The agreement is based on the commitment of both media networks to guaranteeing plurality, and to giving voice to the voiceless.

Al-Jazeera is the leading television network in the Middle East and increasingly beyond; IPS is the leading global news agency in reporting development, environmental and rights issues from the perspective of the disadvantaged. Al-Jazeera reaches tens of millions of people. IPS has an average of about 50 million page views a month, and provides content in 27 languages.

Mario Lubetkin, IPS Director-General, and Shafaat Khan, Head of Foreign Operations, Al-Jazeera Network, formalised the agreement at the end of a seminar Oct. 23 on ‘Strategies to Preserve and Increase the Support Base for Global Sustainable Development: the Role of the Media’, organised by IPS, OxfamNovib, and the Netherlands’ National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development. The meeting attended by academics, journalists, scientists, government officials and representatives of civil society, the business sector and U.N. agencies.

Visit AlJazeera and IPS – Inter Press Service websites.