OSCE RFoM organized the 26th Central Asia Media Conference in Bishkek, held bilateral meetings with Kyrgyz authorities

BISHKEK, 13 October 2026 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, in co-operation with OSCE field operations in the region, organized the 26^th Central Asia Media Conference in Bishkek on 9 and 10 October gathering participants from Central Asia, Mongolia and the broader OSCE region. Interactive discussions focused on information integrity and trusted information landscapes in the region, safety of journalists, legislative and regulatory frameworks, journalism education, and professional standards.

The conference was opened by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ambassador Jan Braathu; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Kairat Tursunkulov; Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic Salkyn Sarnogoeva; and the Head of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, Ambassador Volker Frobarth.

“There are multiple challenges journalists face in their work throughout the OSCE region, including Central Asia. However, our responses to these challenges must remain firmly grounded in fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and media freedom. Open discussion about the importance of media freedom and its impact on our common security is crucial,” Ambassador Braathu said in his opening remarks.

During his visit to Bishkek, Representative Braathu held bilateral meetings with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kairat Tursunkulov; the First Deputy Minister of Justice, Saira Yzakova; and the Chairman of the Service for Regulation and Supervision in the Communication Sector under the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies, Altynbek Toktorbaev.

On 10 and 11 October, the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media partnered with the Bishkek Academy for the Academy’s annual alumni conference focussing on “Artificial Intelligence, Climate Change and Sustainable Development”. The RFoM Office’s work in the areas of media and AI was discussed at the conference within the Central Asian framework. The Office also laid out strategies to promote stronger climate and environmental journalism, and presented the RFoM/UNESCO joint publication “Reporting the Environment: A Practical Manual for Journalists”. Furthermore, the conference provided an opportunity to present the translation of OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/18 on the Safety of Journalists into five Central Asian languages and Mongolian, and discuss the implementation of the principles included in the Decision.

“A commitment adopted at the international level needs to reach the people and institutions that are in a position to give it practical effect. And that means bringing the commitment not only geographically closer, but also linguistically closer, to those stakeholders. This is why translating MC Decision 3/18 into Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen, Uzbek and Mongolian is part of the implementation process and a step towards national ownership,” concluded Braathu.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. 

Learn more at rfom.osce.org, X: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom