Fulfilling media-freedom commitments requires mustered political will, says OSCE Representative to participating States

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, told participating States on 13 June 2013 in Vienna that political will needs to be mustered to fulfil commitments on Internet freedom and journalists’ safety.

“Today I am concerned that there is little or no political will to make this happen,” Mijatović said in her first report to the Permanent Council in 2013. “Indeed, the opposite is true: too many in the OSCE simply refuse to believe there are problems related to media freedom in their countries.”

Mijatović said it was imperative that there is a legal environment in participating States that is tolerant and supportive of free media and free expression.

She highlighted the recommendations from Internet conference held by her Office in February 2013, to maintain a free environment for Internet use. Mijatović also chronicled the dangers journalists face throughout the region, citing figures that show at least 21 members of the media have been assaulted and injured in the past six months.

The excessive use of force by law-enforcement personnel against media who are reporting on public demonstrations is a renewed threat to journalists’ safety, Mijatović said. “Law enforcement personnel must be told that it’s “hands off the media.”

The report to the Permanent Council is available at //www.osce.org/fom/102651