Representative on Freedom of the Media

Background

Freedom of expression, and its corollary, freedom of the media, is one of the most basic human rights. In order to ensure a high level of commitment with the norms and standards accepted by the OSCE participating States, the position of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media was established in December 1997.

Tasks

The function of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media is to observe relevant media developments in OSCE participating States with a view of providing early warning on violations of freedom of expression. The Representative's second main task is to assist participating States by advocating and promoting full compliance with OSCE principles and commitments regarding freedom of expression and free media.

The Representative

In March 2004, Miklos Haraszti of Hungary was appointed OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

Office of the Representative

The Representative on Freedom of the Media is based in Vienna and supported in his work by an international staff of fifteen people.