Regional Conference on National mechanism for Safety of Journalists kicks off in Nairobi.
Emmanuel Mugisha, Executive Director Rwanda Media Commission sharing insights from his country during the official opening of Eastern Africa regional conference on National Mechanisms for Safety of Journalists at Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi-Photo By Media Council of Kenya.
By Dickson Odhiambo.
November 13, 2017.
Regional Conference on National mechanism
for Safety of Journalists kicks off in Nairobi.
A TWO-Day
regional conference on National mechanisms for Safety of Journalists kicks off
this morning in Nairobi.
The Conference
which is organized by the Article 19 Eastern African and UNESCO with the
support of the Kenyan Media Sector Working Group, the Government of Sweden,
Media Council of Kenya and the Kenya Union of Journalists is also meant to commemorate
the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
The aim of
the conference is to share good practices on National, Regional and
International mechanisms for safety of Journalists and how to localize such
mechanisms in Eastern African region, based on the country’s context.
It also aims
at building the capacity of safety of Journalists’ focal persons from the
relevant Government’s institutions and Ministries, in accordance to the United
Nations Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists approved by the UN Assembly in
the year 2012.
The expected
outcome during the two-day regional conference is for the Eastern African
Countries to agree on regional parameters on establishing national mechanisms
for safety of Journalists based on the country’s specific context.
This will
also provide an opportunity to engage with regional actors on safety of
journalists and mobilize the Eastern Africa Media Development Partners, to
provide necessary support for implementation of the recommendations from the
conference.
The
recommendations from this regional conference will be implemented at the
national level and will be complimented by ongoing media development
initiatives on promoting the freedom of Expression in Eastern African region.
The
conference has brought together 100 participants with around 40 participants
drawn from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
It therefore
brings together participants from the Ministries of Information, Justice and
Security, Associations of Journalists and Media Workers, Civil/human rights
defenders, Journalism Training Institutions, Media Regulatory Bodies and Media
development partners from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and
Uganda.
In spite of
the many efforts by the UNESCO Member states to address safety of journalists
concerns and even with the many resolutions that have been passed globally,
media violations have increased at an alarming rate especially in post conflict
and countries in conflict.
Yet,
according to the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and issue of
Impunity crimes against Journalists are multifaceted and cannot be addressed by
a single organization.It requires a multi-stakeholder approach, involving all
the actors both at the Global and County level to comprehensively address the
three P,s that is Prevent violence against Journalists, Protect the Journalists
in danger and Prosecute the perpetrators.
On the other
hand, Sustainable Development Goal{SDG} number 16 also requires all countries
to demonstrate progress in ensuring public access to information and protecting
fundamental freedoms, which includes the Right to Freedom of Expression and
safety of Journalists.
In the
Eastern African region, an overall trend of a shrinking space for media freedom
has been observed specifically violations against media practitioners have been
ongoing without a dedicated focal person or a proper mechanism within the
government institutions to report and address these concerns.
This
therefore results to the issue of safety of Journalists not being given the
attention it deserves since there is also a communication breakdown between the
affected journalists and the government body that should be providing the
required media safety.
This
therefore calls for an urgent need to develop a comprehensive formal national
mechanism to promote the safety of Journalists in Eastern African region.
This should
bring together all the media actors to strengthen joint responses hence this
therefore informs the need for the development of a comprehensive document
highlighting these cases of grievous and impunity against Journalists and Human
Rights defenders.
ENDS:
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