19 November 2003

WSIS PROCESS FAILING TO AFFIRM FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION


With the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Geneva just weeks away, IFEX members are expressing dismay at the lack of political will in reaffirming freedom of expression and press freedom in the summit's draft texts.

The Media Caucus, whose members include the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), ARTICLE 19, the Media Institute of Southern Africa and the World Press Freedom Committee, expressed "profound distress" over the latest round of WSIS inter-governmental negotiations (PrepCom3A).

As of 14 November, governments had refused to fully affirm Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the draft texts of the WSIS declaration and action plan. There was also a lack of agreement over designating the media as a stakeholder in the Information Society, said the Media Caucus.
The caucus also voiced its shock over the WSIS summit organisers' decision to deny accreditation to freelance journalists. Freelance journalists not attached to a particular news outlet are being barred from the summit because organizers insist that all journalists prove they are on assignment from a specific news organization, says IFJ. [Updates: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/53917/]
For more information, visit:

- IFEX: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/50685/

- Civil Society Statement: http://www.prepcom.net/wsis/1069062981246

- IFJ: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=2079&Language=EN

- WorldSummit2003.org: http://www.worldsummit2003.de/en/web/467.htm

- WSIS: http://www.itu.int/wsis/index.html



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Also from the Communiqué, 19 November 2003

INTERNATIONAL: WIPC, RSF CALL ATTENTION TO IMPRISONED WRITERS AND JOURNALISTS WORLDWIDE 18 November 2003 COLOMBIA: RADIO HOST KILLED 19 November 2003 BELARUS: PEN LAUNCHES LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGN 19 November 2003 IRAN: PEN CANADA TO KEEP WATCH ON KAZEMI TRIAL 19 November 2003 KYRGYZSTAN: FIRST INDEPENDENT PRINTING PRESS OPENS 19 November 2003 TUNISIA: CUBA/TUNISIA: JAILED JOURNALISTS FREED 19 November 2003 SOUTH AMERICA: IAPA LAUNCHES SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAM FOR LATIN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS 19 November 2003 INTERNATIONAL: Open Society Seeks Consultants for EU Media Monitoring Project 19 November 2003

International

A "to do" list for internet freedom 16 May 2012 Human rights council urged to recognise role of free expression in protecting rights of LGBT persons 7 March 2012 ARTICLE 19 welcomes Internet free expression debate 1 March 2012 RSF concerned about Google's new country-redirect service on Blogger 16 February 2012 Twitter urged not to cooperate with censors 27 January 2012


 
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