Chairman De Gucht stresses OSCE's role in promoting press freedom and tolerance

BRUSSELS, 29 May 2006 - The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, today opened a colloquium on the role of the internet and satellite television in relations between the peoples of the OSCE, Mediterranean and Middle East countries.

The colloquium was organized by the Brussels-based MEDEA Institute on the fringe of the Belgian OSCE Chairmanship. It brought together a large number of panellists with the aim of analysing the impact of new information and communication technologies on relations between peoples.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Minister De Gucht said press freedom was a fundamental principle of the rule of law. As promoting this principle is a priority for the Belgian Chairmanship, the latter will co-organize with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, a meeting on information access and the protection of journalists in Vienna in July.

The Chairman-in-Office also highlighted the media's role in promoting tolerance and mutual respect, and encouraged them to make a positive contribution in this area, saying: "Exercising freedom of expression and of the press also involves duties and responsibilities, and the media have a responsibility towards society."

Minister De Gucht reminded those present that the UN's "Alliance of Civilisations" initiative, to which Belgium is a major contributor, fitted in with this goal of global dialogue and aimed to bolster responsible modernity based on universal values.

"The OSCE is working on its own contribution to the Alliance of Civilisations," said the Chairman, adding that he and the OSCE Secretary-General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut would present details of the contribution to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in late June.