OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media meets with Ambassador of North Macedonia

On 10 February 2021, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, met with Ambassador Igor Djundev to discuss the current media freedom landscape and challenges in North Macedonia.

Ribeiro and Djundev spoke about several issues, including the safety of journalists, media self-regulation and the challenge of “fake news” and its effect on media freedom. They went into the specific situation of female journalists, as well as the need to accelerate processing of all cases of attacks on journalists by the judiciary.

They also discussed the need for an independent and robust public service broadcaster to be able to perform its important role in society. In this regard, Ribeiro expressed readiness to offer her Office’s expert assistance to improve the national legal framework related to public service media, in accordance with international standards and the relevant OSCE commitments. Ribeiro also announced that she would follow-up on specific cases of concern in close co-operation with the North Macedonian authorities.

Reiterating the OSCE commitments in the 2018 Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists, Ribeiro underlined that the safety of journalists will be a top priority on her agenda.In this respect, Ribeiro welcomed the North Macedonian government’s efforts to initiate amendments to the country’s Criminal Code to ensure better legal protection and safer working environment for journalists in the country.

Ribeiro and Djundev acknowledged that the OSCE field missions are an important asset in building linkages and in exchanging knowledge and expertise on the ground in the advancement of media freedom and freedom of expression in North Macedonia and in the region. To complement the efforts on the ground, Ribeiro and Djundev agreed that co-operation and dialogue with other institutions and interlocutors are of crucial importance.

Ribeiro and Djundev further spoke about the regional South East Europe Media Conference, organized annually by the RFoM’s Office, and agreed to engage in further discussions about the upcoming 2021 event. They also discussed the prospects for a visit of the RFoM to North Macedonia and agreed to continue the mutual co-operation and open dialogue.