Democratic institutions and an independent media are our strength in times of crisis, OSCE leaders say
VIENNA/WARSAW, 16 May 2022 – Human rights and democratic principles must continue to be the bedrock of societies across the OSCE region even as the Russian Federation’s military attack on Ukraine is creating unprecedented challenges to democratic institutions across the region, OSCE leaders said at the opening of a two-day conference today.
Some 275 people from across the OSCE region registered for the meeting in Vienna, which will discuss the importance of effective democratic institutions and the right to form and join associations to protect and promote human rights in times of crisis. Participants will include representatives of OSCE states, international organizations, civil society, and the media. Participants will also seek to identify good practices and concrete recommendations to strengthen local and central government, parliaments, independent media and civil society, which has been recognised by all OSCE countries as key to conflict prevention and resolution.
“The unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine has shaken the foundations of international and European security order causing thousands of unnecessary deaths and suffering of civilian population. The scale of egregious violation of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law is enormous,” said Ambassador Artur Dmochowski, Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office opening the conference on behalf of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Foreign Minister, Zbigniew Rau. “Against this background, we have proposed to discuss the role of fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression and of association, and the functioning of democratic institutions in the times of crisis.”
While national and local institutions are at the forefront of guarding democracy through crises, these are often the times at which they find themselves under greater pressure. Participants will therefore focus on how the potential of democratic institutions, from parliaments to local authorities, can be harnessed and contribute to effective crisis prevention and response. Another area of focus will be the right to form, join and participate in public associations and the fact that over recent years this right has been increasingly curtailed in some OSCE countries. Such restrictions on freedom of association weaken civil society, limit its oversight role, reduce the space for dialogue, and affect the ability of marginalized communities to make their voices heard just when this is most needed.
“Civic engagement is the biggest commitment any individual can make to our societies, and one that should be treasured,” said ODIHR Director Matteo Mecacci. “But unfortunately, that is not always the case. On the contrary, we are seeing restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and access to information undermining the work of civil society and even exposing human rights defenders to intimidation and persecution. I’m therefore particularly looking forward to the recommendations that come out of today’s discussions and looking at how ODIHR can best assist OSCE countries in making them a reality.”
In the face of a clampdown on media freedom in many parts of the OSCE region, the final topic will be the value of independent and free media for democratic societies and their security. While access to reliable information and quality media is important at all times, it becomes crucial in times of crisis.
“Independent, free and pluralistic media are an indispensable part of democratic societies, it is rightly considered as one of the key institutions in any democracy,” said OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro. “Nowadays, we are facing an unprecedented regress in media freedom and a severe clamp down on independent reporting across the entire OSCE region. At the same time, professional journalism is relied on more than ever to provide fact-based information and unbiased reporting on evolving crisis situations. A vibrant media landscape and favourable conditions for independent reporting greatly contribute to more security. This is why we need more media freedom, not less.”
Supplementary Human Dimension Meetings are a platform for the OSCE’s participating States and OSCE institutions, as well as international organizations and civil society, to exchange views and good practices in order to find common solutions for the challenges facing societies across the OSCE region. Today’s discussion follows the first SHDM of the year on international cooperation to address violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. One more meeting is planned for 2022.