The Office of Outreach and Public Affairs was created in April 2008 by a merger of Press and Public Affairs and Outreach.

Resources for journalists covering the Special Court may be found in the Pressroom.

Outreach and Public Affairs is located within the Registry but works with all areas of the Court to foster two-way communication between Sierra Leoneans and the Special Court. To achieve its mission it targets the general population as well as specific groups including the military, the police, students at all levels, the judiciary, prison officers, religious leaders, civil society and national and international NGOs. Outreach uses town hall meetings, radio programmes, publications, seminars and training to communicate the work of the Special Court.

The challenges in informing Sierra Leoneans beyond Freetown about the work of the Court generally, and the trial process in particular are many and varied. A number of communities are isolated, with limited communications infrastructure. There are also a number of different languages and dialects and levels of literacy are low. Outreach takes into account all of these factors and has designed a programme, which is flexible and needs-based. A nationwide network of Outreach officers, some of whom reach many communities by motorbike, is supported by a central office in Freetown. Outreach organises events within Freetown and across the nation for representatives of Registry, Defence and Prosecution to communicate their messages to Sierra Leoneans through town hall meetings, school meetings, seminars, training and radio panel discussions.

In particular, the Section undertakes a series of activities and programmes geared towards informing and educating children. Outreach conducts "Training the Trainer" workshops around the country and has developed a training manual resulting in the formation of School Human Rights and Peace Clubs. Children also participate through "Kids Talking to Kids" radio programmes. Quiz and debating competitions are organised within schools.

"Accountability Now Clubs" have been established at eight universities across Sierra Leone with instruction and training provided by Outreach. The clubs are nowself-sufficient and focus on the broader issues of justice, accountability and human rights, thereby educating people in the years to come.

People with disabilities are also included in Outreach activities. The Section employs a visually impaired person to serve as a consultant on addressing the outreach needs of those with disabilities, particularly the visually impaired. Information material in braille relating to the Special Court was produced, and the Section conducted teacher training for hearing impaired students.

Outreach also focuses on women, and has acted in partnership with other organisations to provide information for nurses, market workers and women in communities.

• Training of 420 Local Government Councillors nationwide: Councillors were trained in the rule of law and expanded their knowledge base regarding the mandate of the Special Court, due process and the rights of accused persons before the Court.
• Independent Public Perception Survey on the work of the Court and: An independent contractor was retained to assess the perception of Sierra Leoneans in respect of the activities of the Court, Outreach, and the approaching judgments. 10,000 respondents were targeted nationwide. The survey report was finalized in May 2007.
• Gender Programme: Women’s groups played key roles in awareness-raising among rural women in 2006. The Sierra Leone Market Women’s Association, for example, organised country-wide regional seminars on transitional justice and the Special Court which targeted some 5000 market women.
• Video Screenings: Video screenings of redacted Special Court trials continued across the country.
• Radio & Television Programming: Radio coverage of the Court’s activities in Freetown and the Taylor Status Conferences in The Hague was carried out. Programming included expert interviews and panel discussions, and rapid response programmes that facilitate immediate response to deliberate misinformation or clarification of misunderstandings.
• Tours of the Court’s facilities: Over 2000 elementary and secondary school students visited the Court and participated in interactive question and answer sessions. University and various tertiary institutions also participated in Court tours.
• Accountability Now Clubs (ANCs): These clubs involve university and post-secondary students in educating their peers and communities on the Special Court, transitional justice, and human rights. Also, coalitions of the various ANCs in the western area developed to form an inter-college structure. In an effort to curb student violence on campuses the ANCs have embarked on rule of law training in the colleges.
• Capacity Building Initiatives as part of the Legacy Programmes: The Outreach section continued to train various groups, including the Local Government Council, the lay judiciary and Local Court Chairmen in the Northern Province, on topics pertaining to international humanitarian law, the rights of suspects and accused persons, international standards of detention and the rights of women in the native administration process.
• An experience-sharing Seminar: members of the Special Court and civil society groups from Liberia and Sierra Leone participated in a Seminar, which led to the production of an outcome document detailing outreach strategies for the sub-region. Subsequently, an autonomous outreach secretariat of Liberia, run by a coalition of civil society groups and supported by the Outreach Section of the Special Court was established. The coalition has carried out several programmes including radio panel discussions and video screenings of the Taylor Status Conferences.
• Consultation Trip to Guinea: The Outreach Coordinator conferred with sub-regional civil society groups in Guinea in order to identify areas of collaboration for outreach in that country. The meeting was very successful and a follow-up is planned for 2007.

The Outreach Coordinator took several outreach-related international trips including a trip to Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Belgrade and another to the ICC to provide guidance and assist in developing the ICC strategic plan for its outreach activities.

Outreach is grateful for funding from the European Commission.