Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

VALLETTA, 6 December 2024 — The 31st OSCE Ministerial Council in Malta concluded with key decisions on the appointment of four senior officials to lead the OSCE’s Secretariat and institutions. This achievement underscores a lasting commitment of the 57 participating States to strengthen the Organization’s ability to act, particularly in times of crisis and conflict.

VIENNA, 22 November 2024 – The Maltese Chairpersonship of the OSCE, in collaboration with the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) and the 3CL Foundation, organised the Conference on Media Freedom in the OSCE region on 22 November 2024. The event addressed the multiple challenges facing free and independent media in the current digital landscape and their implications for democracy and security.

VALLETTA/VIENNA 03 September 2024 – Today, the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Malta's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade Ian Borg, informed the 57 participating States that, in the absence of a consensus on the appointment of a new OSCE leadership, he has taken immediate action to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the Organization during this transitional period.

VIENNA, 2 September 2024- In a new communiqué on Fostering Media Freedom Literacy (MFL) issued today, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro recommended that all OSCE participating States adopt a series of multi-stakeholder actions to create an environment that helps people recognize, access, and use different media, as well as understand the importance of a free media as an essential component of democracy and security.

VIENNA, 24 July 2024 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro expresses deep concern at the growing threat to the safety of journalists in the Russian Federation following the latest series of convictions of media professionals in the country.

VIENNA, 18 July 2024 – Media freedom and democracy improve human security and enhance international and domestic peace. This is the clear empirical conclusion of a new report by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, authored by the research team at the Varieties of Democracies Institute.

WARSAW/VIENNA, 9 July 2024 – In a new legal analysis of Uzbekistan's draft information code, Matteo Mecacci, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), noted that while the code contains positive elements, it also includes provisions that need improvement to meet international standards and OSCE commitments on freedom of expression and media freedom.

ALMATY, 27 June 2024 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro concluded today the regional Central Asian Safety of Journalists event in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event, titled "Beyond the Headlines: Protecting Journalists to Advance Media Freedom”, gathered journalists, media professionals, and academia from the Central Asian region to engage in discussions on tools and strategies to promote the safety of journalists.

VIENNA, 13 June 2024 – “The failure to guarantee media freedom and healthy information spaces is increasingly disillusioning and disenfranchising people throughout the OSCE region,” stated OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro in her address to OSCE participating States. Presenting her seventh and final bi-annual report to the Permanent Council, she highlighted escalating repression against the media and its detrimental impact on democratic principles and security across the OSCE region and urged States to bolster efforts to safeguard media freedom for the benefit of peace and security.

VIENNA, 27 May 2024 – Media literacy plays a pivotal role in ensuring informed political participation and strengthening the resilience of our democracies, OSCE leaders said at the opening of a two-day conference today.