Analysis 14:50 21/11/2013

Tigran Balayan: By efforts of Armenia article on inadmissibility of extension of xenophobia was included in OSCE declaration

The 10th South Caucasus Media Conference, organized by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in co-operation with the OSCE Office in Baku and OSCE Office in Yerevan, was held on 11-12 November 2013 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The focus of the conference was a retrospective look at OSCE media freedom commitments and their implementation across the region.

The conference participants also addressed some of the most pressing media freedom issues in the region, such as the safety of journalists, Internet freedom, access to information and independence of public service broadcasters and regulators.
Conference participants also explored international standards and national practices regarding issues related to digital switchover and media self-regulation at the Master Class and Roundtable, respectively. Declaration was adopted following the event.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan told the Panorama.am, by the efforts of the Armenian side –the representatives of the Foreign Ministry, the Presidential Administration and the Parliament in particular, a paragraph concerning the inadmissibility of anti-Semitism, xenophobic and racist propaganda through the media and computer systems was included in the final declaration of the conference.

"We believe this is an important issue in the region. This issue was also among the priorities of Armenia in the Council of Europe. I raised this issue during the conference, and we have suggested entering this point into the declaration of the conference. We stubbornly insisted on it, and our suggestion was accepted after long deliberations," said Tigran Balayan.
The declaration says that the conference participants welcome the fact that the authorities, representatives of the media, civil society and academia from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia took part in the conference and discussed important media freedom issues in the spirit of co-operation.

They condemned the attacks, harassment and intimidation against journalists and other media actors and appeal to authorities to publicly denounce every case of violence and ensure swift and effective investigations to prevent the fostering of a climate of fear and impunity.

Those who took part in the conference called on governments to improve national laws and bring them in line with OSCE commitments and refrain from criminalizing journalistic activity, including imprisonment of journalists.

Besides that they called on the governments to refrain from supporting any manifestation of anti-Semitism, xenophobic and racist propaganda through the media and computer systems, as well as refrain from implementing extremism laws that restrict freedom of the media.

The participants called on the authorities urge authorities to ensure that journalists, as well as bloggers and others involved in journalism, are able carry out their activities in safe environment, recognizing that freedom of expression applies both offline and online.

They supported the idea of the Internet as open and public forum for freedom of speech and expression and recommend that the authorities refrain from restrictively regulating online content.

They underlined the responsibility of the authorities to create and sustain a legal and regulatory environment that will guarantee integrity, political, editorial and financial independence of public service broadcasters.

They also called on governments to provide a variety of sources of information for the population during the transition to digital broadcasting, taking into account the interests of non-state and regional television and radio broadcasters, to take practical steps to increase pluralism of content and prevent concentration of ownership in broadcast entities.

Besides that they highlighted the importance of effective institutions of self-regulation, such as press councils, which should work in a consultative and inclusive manner, without state interference.

And finally the participants of the conference stressed the importance of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media continuing to organize the South Caucasus Media Conferences, master classes, roundtables, and trainings and recommend taking further steps to provide a clear mechanism to assess the effectiveness of recommendations passed during these events to ensure greater effect on media freedom in the region.

More than 80 participants, including journalists, civil society representatives, government officials, members of parliament and academia from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia and international media experts convened for the two-day event.

This important annual event has been held in Tbilisi since 2004. Throughout the years, the conferences have addressed various topics central to media freedom, including “International standards of freedom of information”, “Pluralism and Internet governance”, “Access to information and new technologies”, “Journalism education” and others.



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:00
Armenian church honors St Gregory the Thaumaturgus and others
The Armenian Apostolic Church on Saturday commemorates St Gregory the Thaumaturgus, Nicholas the Bishop and St Myron the Wonderworker....
16:30
Banner at Armenian church in Watertown vandalized, police say
A banner at St. Stephen’s Armenian Church in Watertown has been vandalized, Watertown News reports, citing local police. The...
16:02
At least 3 arrested as Montreal anti-NATO protests turns violent
Montreal police say at least three people were arrested after protests turned violent Friday evening, with demonstrators throwing objects at...
15:45
Expert: Armenia pinned hopes on 'European fairy tales' and became isolated
Arthur Khachikyan, an international relations expert from Stanford University, claims the Armenian government’s poor foreign...
15:07
Armenian-Russian relations 'in agony', expert says
Hayk Khalatyan, a political analyst at the Verelq Information and Analytical Center, on Saturday accused Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his...
14:32
Powerful Israeli airstrike kills 11 people in central Beirut
A powerful airstrike killed 11 people in central Beirut on Saturday, the Lebanese civil defence said, shaking the capital as Israel pressed its...
14:15
Expert: Armenian-Azeri talks somewhat stalled
Political analyst Suren Sargsyan claims the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks have somewhat stalled amid the change of government in the United...
13:33
Temperatures set to plunge next week
Clear weather is expected in Armenia's regions over the weekend. Rain and snow are forecast for most parts of the country next week....
13:06
Magnitude 4․3 quake hits Azerbaijan, felt in Armenia
A magnitude 4․3 earthquake struck Azerbaijan on Saturday afternoon. The quake was recorded 42 km northeast of the town of Goris in...
12:35
Opposition MP slams Pashinyan's Western Armenia remarks
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Levon Kocharyan has blasted Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks on Western Armenia and Baku’s fake...
12:00
MP Hovik Aghazaryan says decided on his parliament seat
MP Hovik Aghazaryan of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party has made a decision on his parliament seat. The deputy has told the media...
11:36
US lawmakers request classified briefing on Turkey’s ties to Hamas
More than three dozen Democratic and Republican lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to offer a classified briefing on...
11:15
Armenia's Mushegh Mkrtchyan wins bronze at World Military Wrestling Championships
Armenian serviceman Mushegh Mkrtchyan (92 kg) has clinched a bronze medal at the 37th CISM World Military Wrestling Championships in Yerevan,...
11:00
Switzerland bans exports to Polish firm after Swiss-made ammunition ends up in Ukraine
The Swiss government said Friday it is barring exports to a Polish military hardware supplier after concluding that some 645,000 rounds of...
17:12
Armenia to face Georgia in Nations League play-off
The 2024/25 UEFA Nations League knockout stage and play-off ties have been confirmed following the draw in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday....
16:36
Hayk Marutyan agrees to debate with Tigran Avinyan
New Power party leader Hayk Marutyan has agreed to a TV debate with incumbent Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan. Marutyan, a former Yerevan...
15:45
Opposition politician: Pashinyan leading Armenia to 'final collapse'
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration is leading Armenia to the “final collapse” and Turkification, opposition...
15:05
Caretaker deputy justice minister sacked
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signed a decree to dismiss Armenuhi Harutyunyan as Acting Deputy Minister of Justice....
14:35
Armenian parliament speaker confirms MP's resignation
National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has issued a statement on the resignation of Narek Zeynalyan as an MP from Armenia’s ruling Civil...
14:06
Visa restricts media access to key event in Yerevan
Visa has restricted the media access to the Cashless Forum 2024 to be held in Yerevan for the first time on November 22. Only...
13:36
Orban says he will invite Netanyahu to Hungary after ICC warrant
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Hungary, saying he would guarantee...
13:11
Temps to plummet in Armenia
Clear weather is expected in Armenia's regions on Friday and over the weekend. Rain and snow are forecast for most parts of the country...
12:32
Alexis Ohanian showcases rare Armenian coin
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has showcased a rare Armenian coin from 95 BC featuring Tigranes the Great, a famous Armenian king....
12:16
German foreign minister criticizes Azerbaijan's human rights record
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the human rights record of Azerbaijan during her first appearance at the UN Climate Change...
12:06
Minister shares new images captured by Armenia's first satellite
Armenia's Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan has shared new satellite images from orbit captured by ARMSAT-1,...
11:36
World Cadet Chess Championship passes its halfway mark
The 2024 World Cadet Chess Championship has passed its halfway mark in Montesilvano, Italy. After 6 rounds, in the Open 12 category CM...
11:15
Iran to launch 'new and advanced centrifuges' in response to IAEA censure
Iran said Friday it would launch a series of "new and advanced" centrifuges in response to a resolution adopted by the IAEA that...
11:00
Armenian, Iranian foreign ministers hold phone call
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Thursday had a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi....
17:07
Winter military draft starts in Armenia on November 25
The winter conscription for compulsory military service starts in Armenia on November 25 to run through January 31, 2025. The...
16:45
Russian spokeswoman told not to comment on ballistic missile strike live on air
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova received a phone call during a live press briefing on Thursday telling her not to...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}