OSCE trains Georgian government officials, journalists with focus on facilitating access to information

TBILISI, 18 March 2008 - Fostering effective ties between government bodies and journalists and increasing access to official information are the focus of a two-day OSCE training seminar that started in Tbilisi today.

"We hope that this event will encourage professional dialogue between state authorities and journalists to achieve good co-operation between them. Such co-operation will enable the media to convey information on the matters of public interest to enhance citizens' participation in the decision-making processes," said Alexander Boldyrev, the Senior Adviser of the OSCE media freedom representative.

The event, jointly organized by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the OSCE Mission to Georgia, brought together 20 participants from Tbilisi and other regions of the country. International and local experts will conduct sessions on the legal and ethical principles of interaction between state officials and journalists, as well as global standards related to access to information.

Guillaume Siemenski, Head of the Human Dimension Office of the OSCE Mission, said: "It is necessary not only to adopt progressive legislation but also to train competent and informed journalists. Officials also need to understand the importance of the free flow of information for countries which are seeking to establish their democratic credentials."

The event, sponsored by the Government of Switzerland, continues the series of over a dozen training seminars conducted by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media since 2005.