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Media law working group identifies priority areas for urgent action

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) - The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release:

Yemen: Media Law Working Group agrees on plan of work

SANA'A, YEMEN: The Media Law Working Group convened by ARTICLE 19 and the Yemen Female Media Forum held its first meeting from 21-22 March 2007 and adopted the following final statement:

Media Law Working Group

Final Statement of the First Meeting
21-22 March 2007, Sana'a, Yemen

The Media Law Working Group was established at a meeting on 21-22 March 2007, held in Sana'a, Yemen, to discuss and formulate proposals for progressive reform of Yemen's laws affecting the media. The Group, convened by ARTICLE 19, Global Campaign for Freedom of Expression, and the Media Women Forum, includes representatives of a wide range of stakeholders interested in media law reform in Yemen.

The first meeting assessed the current state of media law in Yemen in light of international and constitutional standards on freedom of expression and identified the following three priority areas for urgent action:

1) Reform of the Press and Publications Law of 1990 and the provisions in the penal code which restrict the right to publish.
2) Adoption of legislation guaranteeing the right of access to information.
3) Adoption of legislation to legalise and regulate private broadcasting.

Two further meetings of the Media Law Working Group are planned for later this year at which concrete proposals for law reform in each of these three areas will be prepared. A programme of advocacy and promotion will accompany these meetings with a view to specific legal reforms being adopted.

The Media Law Working Group encourages all stakeholders, including the Government, Shoura Council and political parties, to contribute actively to the work of the Group. We also urge the Government, consistently with the recommendations arising from the Democracy Assistance Dialogue (DAD), to adopt legislation in all three areas which is consistent with international and constitutional standards on freedom of expression.

The Media Law Working Group thanks the National Endowment for Democracy for its financial support for this work.

ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works around the world to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.