Rabat – Participants at the first conference for Maghreb Investigative Journalists have expressed interest in strengthening cooperation with the Amman-based ARIJ to benefit from the latter’s “rich and cumulative professional experience” in promoting the culture of in-depth reporting across Arab newsrooms. The July 16-18 meeting in Rabat formed a temporary coordinating committee led by Maria Moukrim, president of the Arab Moroccan Journalists for Investigation (AMJI) and media practitioners from Tunisia, Algeria and Mauritania to come up with a road map for the creation of the new regional grouping. Maati Munjib, AMJI board member, said the temporary committee will pave the way for the convening of the second Maghreb conference for investigative journalists and will decide on the organizational structure of the new entity. “Either the group will decide to operate through a coordinating committee, or register as a society, or seek to work under the umbrella of ARIJ,” he said. The committee “looks forward to cooperating with ARIJ to benefit from its pioneering and cumulative experience in promoting investigative journalism to ensure accountability and transparency for the benefit of local communities”. ARIJ – Arab Reporters for Investigative journalism, the first regional network specializing in Investigative Journalism, was set up in 2006 with initial funding from the Copenhagen-based International Media Support (IMS). It operates in nine Arab countries: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Palestine, Bahrain, Yemen and Tunisia. In 2009, AMJI was set up in Morocco, relying on funding from IMS and other donors. The Rabat meeting was organized by AMJI, the Ibn Rochd Center for Studies and Communication, and the IMS. Delegates said they look forward to attending the Fourth annual regional ARIJ conference in Amman, Dec.2-4, to exchange tools of the trade with over 300 Arab and international investigative journalists, trainers and media professors. ARIJ executive director, Rana Sabbagh, said the network will extend all technical and professional support to help AMJI and the new Maghreb grouping. “The Arab spring sweeping the region has created a new momentum for professional in-depth journalism and ARIJ is delighted to see more Arab journalists and editors eager to expose corruption, social injustices and failures of public systems for the benefit of citizens and to promote more democratic practices and greater public freedoms”.