OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media concludes her visit to New York and Washington
VIENNA, 12 May 2023 - Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro concluded her visit to the United States of America from 1 – 5 May, where she presented the Joint Declaration on Media Freedom and Democracy and hosted several events on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day in New York, while in Washington she met with high-level officials in the U.S. Department of State.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), Representative Teresa Ribeiro, along with freedom of expression mandate holders from the United Nations, the African Commission on Human and People's Rights, and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, presented this year's Joint Declaration on Media Freedom and Democracy. Aligned with the theme "Enabling a Future of Rights" for WPFD, the Joint Declaration emphasizes the crucial role of independent, free, and diverse media in providing reliable news and information, fostering robust public debate, and contributing to the cultivation of an informed and active citizenry.
On this occasion, the RFoM organized and participated in various side events. The first event, organized in collaboration with UNFPA, UN WOMEN and the Association for Progressive Communications (ACP), highlighted the interlinkages between freedom of expression and gender justice. The second event, organized in conjunction with the freedom of expression mandate holders, offered a more in-depth discussion with civil society and other stakeholders of the Joint Declaration’s main findings and recommendations. During a third event, jointly organized with UNESCO and its ‘Social Media 4 Peace’ project, focused on the question of how to build a healthier online information ecosystem to ensure access to public interest information. Another event focused on the interconnected nature of media freedom and security and was held in partnership with the North Macedonian Chairpersonship in Office and Albania as an elected member of the UN Security Council. This event received co-sponsorship from Sweden, Poland, and Finland, the recent and forthcoming Chairs of the OSCE.
The collective conclusion drawn from these events underscores the fact that challenges to media freedom have grown in scale and complexity. Many developments are interrelated and interconnected, negatively affecting the media system and its essential function in society. The broad spectrum of thematic areas covered by the events facilitated lively debates and pertinent discussions on some of the most urgent challenges to global media freedom, including those within the OSCE region. These discussions also highlighted the important and unique mandate of the RFoM as part of a regional security organization.
While in New York, the Representative met with Anna Luehrmann, Minister of State for Europe and Climate at the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. During their conversations, they explored possibilities for strengthening multilateral engagement in support of media freedom.
The Representative continued her trip to the U.S. with meetings in Washington with high-level officials from the U.S. Department of State. She met with Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Uzra Zeya, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Kami Winter, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Tom Selinger, and Deputy Assistant Secretary John M. Pommersheim. The discussions revolved around the regressing media freedom situation in the OSCE region, the growing challenges related to disinformation, alarming developments concerning media freedom in the context of Russian Federation's ongoing aggression against Ukraine, the safety of journalists and media workers, and the situation of exiled journalists.