|
Media, Free Expression Groups Ask AU to
Adopt Media Freedom Treaty
African and international media support and freedom of
expression organizations, including Media Rights Agenda (MRA), have
petitioned the African Union (AU) asking it to adopt a continent-wide
treaty to strengthen the protection of media freedom and freedom of
expression in Africa.
In a joint appeal submitted to the AU, the 26 organizations
urged the Union to initiate a
reform and harmonisation of laws in its members states that undermine
press freedom, pluralism of information and media development in Africa
and to include freedom of expression and press freedom as important
criteria in the peer review mechanism of the New Partnership for African
Development (NEPAD).
Signatories to the petition include the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ); ARTICLE 19, the Global Campaign for Free
Expression; Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA), Media Foundation for West
Africa (MFWA), the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA), Media
Rights Agenda (MRA), the West African Journalists Association (WAJA),
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CFJE), the World Association of
Community Broadcasters (AMARC), and the Centre for Research Education and
Development of Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights (CREDO).
Others include the Union for Radio and Television Networks
for Africa (URTNA), the Institute for Media and Society (IMS), the Sierra
Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the Center for Media Studies and
Peace Building (CMSPB), the Gambian Press Union (GPU), the Free Media
Group, Highway Africa, the Inter-Africa Network for Women, Media, Gender
and Development (FAMEDEV), and Organisation des Médias d’Afrique Centrale.
The
organizations met in Dakar, Senegal, on April 30, 2005 at a Roundtable
on “Media, Democratic Governance and African Integration”, organized by
PIWA, the Africa Office of ARTICLE 19, and the African Bureau of the IFJ.
In their petition to the AU, they noted
that the creation of the Union in 2000 raised hope for Africa in several
respects, particularly in its Constitutive Act, which states among its
objectives the commitment to “promote democratic principles and
institutions, popular participation and good governance; promote and
protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African Charter
on Human and Peoples' Rights and other relevant human rights instruments.”
The organisations observed that these
values require the consolidation of democracy, rule of law, the
possibility for the African citizens to take part in public affairs,
freedom of expression, and press freedom.
They said: “The right to communicate and
to access the means of communication is one of the conditions for and
criteria of democratic governance. It implies respect for freedom of
expression and, particularly, access to information, for both the public
and journalists, guarantees for media pluralism and the existence of
public service information.”
But the organisations regretted that
while the implementation of these rights in different AU member States is
very uneven, they are often violated. Besides, they said, the right to
communicate is not among the major principles or criteria for good
governance of the AU, nor is it among the criteria for the peer review
mechanism of NEPAD.
They noted that the AU has to date not
taken the initiative of formulating values and principles, developing a
sectoral policy for media and communication, or setting standards
concerning the right to information.
The organisations remarked that although
the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights has since 2000 taken
the initiative to reinforce the protection of freedom of expression,
including by adopting in 2002 the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of
Expression in Africa, African states hardy respect the decisions and
recommendations of the Commission and continue to adopt laws and
restrictive measures which are contrary to the standards recognized by the
African Charter and by the Declaration.
They observed that some governments in
Africa had already implemented reforms or taken decisions with a view to
respecting press freedom, while other African governments were still
reluctant and need to be encouraged to follow these laudable examples.
But according to them, despite
improvements in some areas, the persecution, arbitrary arrest and
detention, harassment and murder of journalists and other media
professionals continue with impunity on the continent.
The organisations argued that for
African journalists, media professionals, human rights and free expression
organizations, the respect for universally recognized communication rights
is more than necessary in Africa and that an African communication policy
and the solemn commitment of the AU to develop the media sector should
contribute to their respect.
They presented a 14-point recommendation to the AU, calling
on it to:
-
Reinforce the mechanisms protecting freedom of
expression, freedom of the press and the right to communicate within the
African Commission by ensuring the independence of the Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa, and through the
implementation of the African Court of Human Rights;
-
Adopt a treaty to reinforce the existing principles on
press freedom and freedom of expression;
-
Initiate a reform and harmonisation of legislation that,
in the members states, undermine press freedom, pluralism of information
and media development in Africa;
-
Take into consideration freedom of expression and press
freedom as part of the important criteria in the peer review mechanism
of NEPAD;
-
Spearhead the process of decriminalisation of press
offences in AU member States;
-
Promote and support an economic, political, and social
environment for the establishment and development media as well as for
ensuring viability of media in Africa;
-
Create a special media fund for the development of
independent and pluralist media;
-
Promote the adoption of harmonized norms on public
service information and access to public information in Africa;
-
Ensure total independence of media and telecommunications
regulatory bodies in Africa, with special regard to the convergence of
the communication technologies;
-
Promote a conducive working environment and better
conditions for journalists and media practitioners in Africa;
-
Put in place an African communication and media policy
based on the principles of press freedom and freedom of expression which
will promote the development of independent and pluralistic media,
contributing to the good governance in the member states and the
regional integration.
-
Promote media practitioners’ capacity building on the
continent and encourage member States to adopt appropriate and coherent
media training policies and training norms;
-
Adopt a Priority Programme for the media alongside the
other priority programmes already adopted in its Strategic Plan
(2004-2007); and
-
Take institutional measures to ensure a better
representation of non-governmental media and freedom of expression
organisations within the Economic, Social
and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC)
of the AU.
|
