OSCE media freedom office trains government press secretaries and journalists in Baku

BAKU, 18 July 2005 - Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and Mahmud Mammad-Quliyev, Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, today opened a three-day training seminar in Baku for 27 governmental press secretaries and local journalists.

The aim is to strengthen the professional skills and co-operation techniques of state authorities and the media so that, together, they can guarantee the access of information to the Azerbaijani society.

"Effective interaction between journalists and the government is crucial to the functioning of a modern democratic society," Mr Haraszti said at the opening of the event.

"It improves governance and decision-making, and ensures government's transparency, which builds public trust."

The programme includes lectures and discussions on legal and ethical principles of communication, an overview of international law and its practice, and role-playing.

A first of its kind, the seminar was originally proposed by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. The Office of the OSCE Representative, which developed the idea into an extensive training programme, plans to hold similar schemes in other OSCE participating States.