OSCE conference for South Caucasus journalists focuses on public service broadcasting and the Internet

VIENNA, 21 November 2005 - The editorial independence of public service broadcasting and press freedom on the Internet were the focus of the Second South Caucasus Media Conference that ended on Friday in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.

The event, organized by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OSCE Mission to Georgia, brought together over 60 media professionals from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

A joint declaration, adopted by the participants, called for upholding the principle of editorial independence, which should be guaranteed by law. The document also said that Internet media should enjoy the same protection through press freedom provisions as traditional media and there should be no state regulation or registering of websites.

"The countries of South Caucasus have always been the focus of our Office," said Alexander Boldyrev, Senior Adviser to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. "Although many problems and challenges are still to be tackled, there are a number of positive changes in the media field."

A moment of silence was held in memory of Azerbaijani journalist Elmar Huseynov, who was murdered in March. Conference participants appealed to the Azerbaijani authorities to accelerate the investigation of the case.