The European Union thanks the OSCE Chairmanship in Office, Minister Ivica Dacic and the Serbian Minister for Culture and Information, Ivan Tasovac for hosting this conference and for their opening remarks. We welcome too the presence of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ms Dunja Mijatovic, and take this opportunity to reiterate our continued support for her work.
Freedom of expression, including safety of journalists, is an issue that has been at the forefront of the OSCE agenda for many years, and for good reason. Free expression and a free and vibrant media landscape, where everyone can express their views and share information without fear, is a cornerstone of democracy. As such, it is a crucial element in our OSCE comprehensive security concept.
Let us be frank, no participating State has a perfect record when it comes to media freedom issues, including within the EU. The same is true in Serbia, and there are still issues that need to be addressed. The Serbian Chairmanship deserves credit for their willingness to organise an event on such an important but also sensitive issue. Likewise we commend the Chairperson-in Office for how Serbia has pledged to use its OSCE chairmanship to lead by example when it comes to the implementation of OSCE commitments. Mr Chairperson,
Regrettably, there is a downward trend in parts of our region with regard to media freedom and safety of journalists. Too often, those exercising their right to freedom of expression are under attack. Journalists, including bloggers and other media actors, face threats, harassment, violence, imprisonment and even murder for what they say or write. This is clearly unacceptable, and goes against the principles that participating States have signed up to, both in the OSCE and in other international fora. All participating States must ensure that journalists, working online as well as offline, can perform their work independently, without undue interference and without fear of censorship, persecution and prosecution. All participating States must swiftly and effectively investigate attacks against journalists. All participating States must ensure that those responsible for such crimes are brought to justice.
Participating States should also take account of the changed media landscape created by technological advances, something the Representative on Freedom of the Media’s current series of events on Open Journalism has demonstrated. Efforts to protect journalists should not be limited to those formally recognised as such, but should also cover support staff and others, such as ”citizen journalists”, bloggers, social media activists and human rights defenders, who use new media to reach a mass audience.
The last twelve months have been a particularly concerning period for the safety of journalists. The horrendous attack against Charlie Hebdo in January this year was the worst single attack against journalists in the OSCE region since participating States established the position of an OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. In the ongoing crisis resulting from Russian aggression against Ukraine, including Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, several journalists have been killed, and others kidnapped, tortured, attacked and intimidated. Propaganda fuelled by the Russian Government is fomenting and exacerbating tensions. We see how those, who through their reporting seek to challenge government narratives, become targets of repression. Self-censorship has become the only option for many, while those courageous journalists who preserve their independence are witnessing the space for free public debate shrink. We look forward to addressing in more detail at this and other events this year how the interplay between conflict and media affects journalists in their work as well as their safety and integrity.
We warmly welcome the attention that the Representative on Freedom of the Media is paying to the growing problem of online threats against female journalists. This is an issue with severe implications for media freedom, and must be taken seriously, both at the political level and by law enforcement. We are also looking forward to discussions related to journalist integrity, keeping in mind that such principles such as integrity and professionalism are best defined and upheld by media self-regulatory bodies
8. The international community has a responsibility to reflect on how to better promote and protect the safety of journalists. OSCE participating States are signatories to a range of international instruments in this area, including in the United Nations, and these are all applicable in the OSCE space. Where it is not already the case, the principles of these documents should at a minimum be reflected within our OSCE commitments. We call on those participating States that have resisted this approach to reconsider.
9. Discussion on the improved implementation of OSCE commitments and other international obligations cannot take place in a vacuum and should not be confined to exchanges between government officials. We welcome the presence at this conference of media and civil society representatives, whose engagement in our events enriches our debates. We hope to leave this conference with a clearer idea about how we can strengthen our commitments and their implementation both at the national level and internationally.
10. Freedom of expression and media freedom, including safety of journalists, is a priority for the EU in the OSCE. Our engagement is guided by the EU’s Human Rights Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline, adopted last May. We would welcome any comments conference participants may wish to share on our implementation of these guidelines to date. 11. In conclusion, the EU recalls the draft Ministerial Council Decision on Freedom of Expression tabled by forty-four participating States at the Basel Ministerial Council. The broad support amongst participating States for a further OSCE decision in this area is clear and we hope that the discussions at this conference will convince those remaining participating States of the need to update and strengthen our freedom of expression commitments.
The Candidate Countries the FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, ICELAND+, and ALBANIA*, the Country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and Potential Candidate BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA, and the EFTA country NORWAY, members of the European Economic Area, as well as UKRAINE, ANDORRA, and SAN MARINO align themselves with this statement.
* The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process. + Iceland continues to be a member of the EFTA and of the European Economic Area.
