OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media concludes visit to France

On 11 May 2022, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, concluded her official visit to France. Ribeiro met with several government representatives and other senior officials from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Interior, parliamentarians, the President of the Regulatory Authority for Audiovisual and Digital Communication, the Rights Defender, with members of civil society in the field of media freedom, and representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Ribeiro discussed with her interlocutors several issues pertinent to the freedom of the media in France, including ongoing initiatives and mechanisms aimed at promoting media pluralism and sustainability, the legal and physical safety of journalists, the importance of media self-regulation and media and information literacy. They also discussed several challenges to media freedom in the OSCE region, including in the context of the Russian invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine. Ongoing and potential co-operation in countering mis-and disinformation, promoting the safety journalists with a gender-sensitive approach, as well as addressing the regulation of online platforms and the impact of artificial intelligence on freedom of expression were also discussed.

Ribeiro and her counterparts acknowledged that media freedom is key for the security and stability in the region and agreed to continue their co-operation in this field.