Internet freedom and freedom of expression focus of OSCE-organized discussion in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT, 27 November 2013 – International standards and national practices in the area of online media freedom and access to information were discussed at an OSCE-organized roundtable meeting that ended today.

The roundtable discussion addressed current issues faced by OSCE participating States in Internet regulation, as well as mechanisms of regulation and self-regulation of online media. International and OSCE experts also led discussions on ways of ensuring access to government-held information through the Internet and protection of personal data.

The two-day event was organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in co-operation with the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. More than 20 representatives of the Mejlis (Parliament), ministries and institutions dealing with media and Internet issues, as well as representatives of research and educational establishments, national print, broadcast and online media participated in the meeting.

“The Internet has had a profound effect on the way in which we send and receive information”, said Ambassador Ivo Petrov, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat. ”All OSCE participating States have committed to promoting the freedom of expression and free access to information across all communication mediums, and adoption of legislation to ensure this is an important step towards fulfilling this commitment. We believe that this discussion will serve as an efficient platform for exchanging best practices and lessons learnt in this area.”

The event is the second of two round tables on Internet and online media legislation and part of the Centre’s support in modernizing the country’s media legislation. In June 2013, the Centre also organized a study visit to Estonia for Turkmenistan officials to facilitate the exchange of practices in the area of Internet development and modernization of media legislation.