Accreditation should not be a precondition for journalists to enter a country, OSCE Representative says, issuing recommendations

VIENNA, 8 June 2016 – Accreditation for foreign correspondents should not be a precondition for a journalist to obtain a visa or to enter a country, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović said today as she presented a set of recommendations on the accreditation of foreign journalists for implementing the right to freedom of information.

“I have expressed my concern on numerous occasions about abuses of accreditation practices for foreign journalists; practices that have recently become much more frequent,” Mijatović said. “Accreditation should not be used as a precondition for members of the media to enter a country.”

The Representative’s Office today launched a report that focuses on theoretical and practical issues surrounding accreditation. The report examines international standards and scholarly approaches in order to clarify the legal nature of accreditation and explores the specifics of accreditation for foreign journalists in the OSCE region.

“The report shows that accreditation standards for foreign journalists in some participating States are often perceived and utilized as a form of work permit,” Mijatović said. “That is why I recommend that participating States review their rules to bring them in line with OSCE commitments on media freedom.”

In a communiqué issued today and based on the report, the Representative made the following recommendations to the OSCE participating States:

• Accreditation for foreign journalists should not be a precondition to obtain a visa or to enter a country;
• Accreditation rules should act as an enabling tool for foreign journalists to carry out their work;
•  Accreditation rules should be clear and transparent in their terms and conditions, as well as grounds for denial and withdrawal;
• Freelance journalists should have the same rights to be granted accreditation as regular journalists;
• Accreditation should not serve as a tool to control content or restrict the flow of information across borders nor as a sanction in response to alien propaganda.

The Representative’s communiqué on the accreditation of foreign journalists for implementing the right to freedom of information is available at: //www.osce.org/fom/245466

Mijatović also said that her Office intends to distribute a questionnaire to OSCE participating States on press accreditation standards to construct a more complete picture of accreditation practices throughout the OSCE region.

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.