Issue 69 Vol III, August 15, 2008

M E D I A

SAFMA’s Colombo declaration
Protect Freedom of media in conflict situations

THE participants at a three-day South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) journalists’ summit adopted a declaration vowing safety and freedom for journalists in the region, a statement issued on Friday said.

The statement said that SAARC Journalists Summit-IV held in Colombo on July 30-31, and August 1 on “Freedom of media in conflict situations” agreed to adopt Colombo Declaration on Freedom and Safety of Journalists. It said that journalists were deeply concerned by attacks on the freedom of media and media persons including murder, deliberate attacks, abductions, hostage-taking, harassment, intimidation, illegal arrest and detention and incitement to violence against them due to their professional activities in the conflict zones and beyond in the South Asian region.

“Media freedom is inseparable from the fundamental human and civil rights … and enforceable through independent judiciary in a democratic system where both the state and society respect freedoms, show tolerance to dissent and practice pluralism,” it added. The statement said that Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guarantees freedom of expression as a fundamental right. Resolution 29 entitled “Condemnation of violence against journalists”, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 12 November 1997 calls on member states to uphold their obligations to prevent, investigate and punish crimes against journalists, it added.

The statement endorsed the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of Resolution 1738 on 23 December 2006. The resolution calls on all parties to an armed conflict to fulfill their obligations towards journalists under international law. The summit took note of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan and the tribal belt of Pakistan and urged the authorities concerned and security agencies to take appropriate measures against extremism, terrorism and intolerance, avoiding, however, collateral damage to people in general and journalists in particular.

The summit called on member states of SAARC “to take both short and long term comprehensive measures to eradicate extremism and violent practices by both state and non-state actors or any other entities against civilians and journalists in particular”. It recommended that multilateral and bilateral institutions of international co-operation and financial assistance require from recipient countries respect for freedom of expression and effective protection of the exercise of press freedom as a specific condition of eligibility.

The declaration urged member states to sign and ratify the Additional Protocols I and II to the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and to take the appropriate legislative, judicial and administrative measures to ensure application of the aforementioned instruments nationally. It also demanded that the states adopt SAFMA’s Protocol on Freedom of Information and implement SAFMA’s Protocol on Free flow of information and movement of journalists “across our borders”. The summit called on SAARC and professional associations to encourage journalism schools and mass communication departments to include in their curricula studies on the impact that crimes against journalists – and subsequent impunity – have on democratic societies.

The fourth SAARC Journalists Summit adopted the Colombo Declaration on August 1 with a call for taking concrete remedial measures to remove hindrances towards greater connectivity, partnerships, people to people contact, and free movement of information, goods and services across borders.

The declaration, adopted after consultation among attending journalists, urged the members’ states of SAARC to take short and long term comprehensive measures to eradicate extremism and violent practices by both the state and non-state actors against civilians and journalists.

It called on SAARC and professional associations to struggle at all levels in stemming and eradicating the tide of intolerance and violence against one section of the people or the other, journalists in particular.

The declaration said media is inseparable from the fundamental human and civil rights guaranteed by the constitutions and enforceable through an independent judiciary in a democratic system where both the state and society respect freedoms, show tolerance to dissent and practice pluralism.

It urged the SAARC countries to investigate into all acts of violence and intimidation against media professionals in their territory, and bring persons or outfits who have allegedly committed such crimes to justice with proper compensation to the victims.

The declaration urged the multilateral and bilateral institutes to make any cooperation and financial assistance to any country based on the indicators which would project the degree of its respect for freedom of expression and effective protection of press freedom.

It called for complying with the commitment of UNESCO Resolution 29 to promote legislation with the intention of investigating and prosecuting the killers of journalists and combat impunity.

The declaration laid stress on adopting SAFMA\'s Protocol on Freedom of Information and implement SAFMA\'s Protocol on free flow of information and movement of journalists across borders.

The declaration called for taking resolute action against all expressions of intolerance towards freedom of expression and for the safety of journalists in risky situations to ensure respect for their professional independence.

It urged to sensitise news organizations, editors and managers about the dangers surrounding their colleagues, when covering investigative stories, particularly at local levels.

The declaration also called for promoting actions that secure safety of journalists. The actions include training for journalists, safety codes, healthcare, life insurance and equal access to social protection for the freelance journalists like full-time staffs.

It encouraged journalism schools and mass communication departments to include in curricula about the impact of crimes against journalists and subsequent impunity in democratic societies.

The SAARC journalists’ summit, the largest gathering of journalists in south Asia, under the theme \"freedom of media in conflicts situations\" adopted the declaration in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. More than 200 journalists from eight SAARC countries attended the summit.

SAFMA seeks a news agency for the region

SAFMA President Lakshman Gunasekera and Secretary General Imtiaz Alam and President of SAFMA Indian Chapter KK Katyal spoke on the occasion have pleaded for an independent professionally managed news agency for SAARC C countries.

The concluding session of the journalists summit titled "Foreign ministers on media issues" called for allowing free flow of information and media products, free movement of journalists across borders and the right to know in South Asia.

Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and also Chairman of SAARC Council of Ministers Rohitha Bogollagama, Nepalese Foreign Minister Gyan Chandra Acharya, Bhutanese Foreign Minister Lyonpo Ugyern Tshering, the Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid.

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