OSCE roundtable in Turkmenistan discusses rights and duties of editorial offices and journalists

ASHGABAT, 2 July 2015 – Journalists from national print, and broadcast media as well as members of the Turkmen parliament, Mejlis, and representatives of relevant state institutions and educational establishments participated in an OSCE-organized roundtable discussion on freedom of journalistic profession that concluded in Ashgabat today.

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat organized the two-day event to facilitate the exchange of best practices and expertise between international and national experts in the area of advancing the legal framework addressing the rights and duties of editorial offices and journalists. The participants also discussed ways of implementing the framework in line with international standards and OSCE commitments.

“Since the Helsinki Final Act was signed in 1975, the OSCE has developed a wide package of commitments calling on the OSCE participating States to promote freedom of the media, freedom of expression, and free flow of information,” said Ambassador Ivo Petrov, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. “These commitments are as relevant today as forty years ago, and we are pleased to support the efforts of Turkmenistan to modernize its media legislation and fulfill relevant OSCE commitments”.

International experts from Lithuania and the Russian Federation focused on the legal guarantees of journalists’ rights and freedoms, editorial independence and protection of journalists’ sources of information. The roundtable participants exchanged views on ethical standards in journalism, protection of human dignity and business reputation, and self-regulation. Media and countering extremism as well as regulation of Internet media were also discussed.