LONDON, 10 July 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, launched today the “Twentieth Anniversary Joint Declaration: Challenges to Freedom of Expression in the Next Decade”, at the Global Conference for Media Freedom organized by the United Kingdom and Canada in London.

The Joint Declaration was issued by Désir, together with his counterparts from other intergovernmental organizations, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, David Kaye; the Organization of American States’ Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Edison Lanza; and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights’ Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Lawrence Mute.

“This year’s Joint Declaration highlights current and future challenges faced by the media, including those which pose a threat to media independence and diversity,” Désir said. “The protection and promotion of freedom of expression, especially but not only in the digital environment, requires digital infrastructure that is robust and universal. States need to recognize the right to access and use the Internet as a human right, as it is an essential condition for the exercise of freedom of expression.”

“In order to promote and protect the right to freedom of expression in a digital environment, we need appropriate regulation,” Désir said. “This also includes the need to address the unaccountable private domination by just a few companies, particularly social media, search platforms and other intermediaries, over communications. We also need independent and multi-stakeholder oversight, transparency and accountability mechanisms to address private content rules that may be inconsistent with international human rights.”

The Joint Declaration can be found here: www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/425282

The Joint Declarations have been adopted annually by these intergovernmental mechanisms on freedom of expression since 1999 with the support of two leading non-governmental organizations in the field, ARTICLE 19 and the Centre for Law and Democracy.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.

For PDF attachments or links to sources of further information, please visit: http://www.osce.org/representative-on-freedom-of-media/425327

Contacts:

Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media 
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Office: +43 1 514 36 6800
Fax: +43 1 514 36 6802
pm-fom@osce.org