Journalist unions from Russia and Ukraine committed to high-level Crimean mission, continued dialogue on journalists’ safety, ethics

VIENNA, 30 May 2016 – Senior representatives of Russian and Ukrainian journalists’ unions today agreed to co-operate on steps to increase journalists’ safety and professionalism as they met again in Vienna. The meeting was hosted by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović with the purpose of planning further joint activities to improve the situation for media working in and around Ukraine.

Mijatović opened the meeting by stressing the need for an all-inclusive and tolerant dialogue on media freedom issues in the region.

“My hope is that by continuing the dialogue we will underline the importance of our joint guiding strategy to make journalists safer, to improve access to information and professional standards among members of the media,” Mijatović said.

The representatives of the Ukrainian Independent Media Trade Union and National Union of the Journalists, as well as the Russian Union of Journalists agreed, among other things, to:

• urgently address the issues of journalists’ rights in Crimea and facilitate a joint fact-finding mission there;
• work toward a joint conference on journalists’ safety and ethics in times of conflict;
• expand joint programmes for young journalists from both countries;
• co-operate on safety and professional standards in conflict reporting.

The journalist unions called on the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media to visit both countries and seek wider support and consensus of the professional associations on the need to preserve freedom of the media.

Representatives of Russian and Ukrainian journalists’ unions attended the meeting, along with representatives of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters without Borders (RSF). IFJ, IPI and RSF, together with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, also made a public statement to the participants of the Russian-Ukrainian dialogue of journalist associations. The statement is available at: //www.osce.org/fom/243671.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.