Governments should use new technologies to strengthen media freedom, says OSCE Representative, in Turkey
ISTANBUL, 11 December 2012 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, today called on governments and regulators to use new technologies to strengthen media freedom.
Addressing participants of a master class in online regulation, she said: “Regulatory practices and policies, including Internet-related ones, should strengthen and promote key democratic processes,protect the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and freedom of information,and should not curb free speech.”
More than 30 representatives of regulatory authorities, government ministries, legislators and lawyers and civil society representatives from Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Turkey are taking part in the event. It will address key issues related to Internet regulation, including legal challenges and issues pertaining to content regulation, the role of the government, regulation of online comments, and self-regulatory mechanisms.
Osman Nihat Sen, the Head of the Internet Department of the Information and Communication Technologies Authority in Turkey, made a presentation on regulations for a safer Internet.
The master class is the fourth organized by the Office of the OSCE Representative in co-operation with Albany Associates, an international communications firm that works with governments and broadcast regulatory agencies.
The governments of France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden and Turkey provided financial support for the event.
More information on the master class is available at //www.osce.org/fom/97718.