OSCE Media Freedom Representative Teresa Ribeiro publishes three reports on tools and commitments regarding media freedom
In the year of the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of the mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM, current Representative Teresa Ribeiro has published today reports on three of the building blocks she uses to advance media freedom.
The first report analyses the series of so-called “Joint Declarations on freedom of expression” that the RFoM has published annually since 1999 with the three other international media freedom rapporteurs. The report identifies the factors that contribute to the Joint Declaration’s value with a specific focus on the collaborative process leading up to their adoption, their progressive content and their demonstrated influence upon courts and other actors, particularly in the OSCE region. In critically reviewing the texts to date, the independent researcher concludes that the Joint Declarations constitute the most significant body of non-binding standards on freedom of expression at the global level, one whose relevance to policy debates deserves broader recognition. It concludes with a set of recommendations for how the Joint Declarations can be advanced and implemented across the OSCE region by states, non-state actors, and the OSCE institutions themselves.
The second report analyses the 20 communiqués the RFoM has issued since 2014 on a range of different themes relating to freedom of expression and information; media and internet freedom; and the safety and freedoms of journalists and other (media) actors. The study provides an analysis of this corpus of communiqués, which were introduced as a new form of output that would have more depth and impact than regular press releases or statements. The independent researcher concludes that the communiqués are a useful instrument with complementary focuses and consistent approaches, while offering a few modest recommendations.
The third report focuses on the 2018 OSCE Ministerial Council Decision on Safety of Journalists, a dedicated and comprehensive document, focusing on numerous inter-related aspects of the safety of journalists. In his report, the independent researcher concludes that the strength of this Decision derives from the fact that it achieved the necessary consensus among OSCE participating States. The study recommends that OSCE participating States use the Decision as a starting point for inclusive dialogue with all relevant stakeholders geared towards ensuring a safe and enabling environment for journalists, and as an envisaged review and revision of national laws, policy and practice, to ensure their full compliance with international human rights law and OSCE Commitments. Finally, it recommends that participating States make good use of the guidance offered by the Decision for the development of national action plans to ensure the safety and freedom of journalists in practice.