Dangers facing journalists must not be ignored, safety of journalists remains high on OSCE agenda, says Chairperson Dačić

BELGRADE, 26 March 2015 – Violence against journalists is unacceptable and must be treated like violence against society as a whole, said the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, today at the opening of a two-day OSCE conference on the Protection of safety and integrity of journalists in the OSCE region.

The conference is organized by Serbia's OSCE Chairmanship in co-operation with the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, and with the support of the Office of OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.

“The OSCE and Serbia's OSCE Chairmanship continually put journalists’ safety high on the agenda,” said Dačić. “Today’s conference must serve as a platform for reaching a better understanding of the problems and dangers journalists face on a daily basis. We cannot ignore it. We must discuss ways to improve the current legislative framework concerning the protection of journalists.”  

Violence against journalists continues to remain the most dangerous form of interference with the profession. Violence and threats of violence take numerous forms that are applied against media professionals in the OSCE region.

"Journalists’ safety is a more relevant topic today than ever before,” Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said. “The increasing number of attacks on journalists throughout the OSCE region is deeply worrying, and I call on all 57 participating States in the OSCE to do their utmost to ensure that journalists can do their work in a free and safe manner.”

Serbia’s Minister of Culture and Information Ivan Tasovac, said: “It is a matter of choice, dedication and political commitment of the Government of Serbia to improve the media situation. It has been and it will be one of our top priorities. Undeniable and absolute rights and freedoms belong to the media, and there is no one who can question that fact.”

Some 200 representatives of governments, media, legislators, academia and NGOs from the OSCE participating States will examine and review the current situation of safety and integrity of journalists over the next two days. They will work on recommendations for governments as to how to improve the situation in the OSCE region.