More political will needed to create genuinely free media in Central Asia, says OSCE media freedom representative

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, told journalists and government authorities that it was time to take stock of the challenging media environment in the region as she opened the 15th Central Asia Media Conference in Bishkek on 27 June 2013.

Mijatovic said she questioned if there was enough political will by governments to create conditions for free media in the region. “What is required is more political leadership and will,” she said.

This year’s conference, which has been held annually since the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media was established in 1997, was entitled “Reflecting on OSCE media freedom commitments” and drew more than 100 participants from throughout the region.

“Since my Office’s founding in 1997, those who have held the position as representative, Freimut Duve and Miklos Haraszti, have seen Central Asia as vitally important to the growth and development of free media and free expression within the context of the whole OSCE,” Mijatovic said. “That is one reason why these conferences were started; to bring together media and government officials from across the region to discuss issues of common concern.”

“It is also important to point out to journalists that it is not enough to say, ‘hands off the media,’” Mijatovic said. “They must continue to strive for the highest standard of professionalism. I know this is not easy to do when you face economic hardships and are continually suppressed or threatened, but there is no other way.”

Also opening the conference were Sergei Kapinos, head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Erines Otorbaev and Roza Aknazarova, a member of parliament.

Participants heard from Mark Johnson, community editor of The Economist, about how New Media can be a boon to established media outlets and U.S. professor Eric Freedman, who presented advances and setbacks in media freedom in Central Asia over the past 15 years.

The conference concludes Friday with a master class led by Doug Griffin and Jem Thomas of Albany Associates on media’s changing role. They will be joined by Assomiddin Attoev of the Internet Service Providers Association in Tajikistan to discuss changes at the regional level and the role of self-regulation in online and offline venues.