Fourth Central Asia Media Conference focuses on media freedom and corruption

TASHKENT, 26 September 2002 - The media coverage of corruption has a "corrective function" in the newly emerging democracies and on their economies, a leading European media watchdog, Freimut Duve, told a conference of more than 100 media professionals today.

Mr. Duve, a former German MP and now the OSCE's Representative on Freedom of the Media, said: "We have corruption in Germany as well. But all cases were discovered by journalists, and all involved have been brought to justice. Freedom of journalists and the independence of judges is vital for democracy and a successful market economy."

During the opening of the fourth Central Asian Media Conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Mr. Duve voiced concern that in the five Central Asian countries, all participating States of the OSCE, a community that describes itself as a family of democracies, the tendency towards oppression was very clear. "My Office has dealt with many cases of media harassment in the region and I do not expect the situation to change dramatically for the better in the very near future," he added.

The two-day conference will handle various aspects of media freedom, ranging from influence of the tragic events of 11 September on media development, to such controversial issues as religious freedom and freedom of expression, from media and covering corruption, to criminal libel and insult laws.

In his opening speech, the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Sadyk Safaev, praised the role of the Conference in the democratization process of media in Central Asia. He added that supporting the freedom of media was a priority issue for every country that has chosen the path of democratic development.

"The mass media should also become agile in indicating existing problems and openly exposing obstacles that hamper the progress of the society", Mr. Safaev stressed.

The conference is organized by the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media in co-operation with the OSCE Centre in Tashkent and the Open Society Institute. It is financially supported by the United States, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Norway, Sweden and Turkey.