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GFMD at European Development Days: Make Media Freedom an Integral Part of Development Strategies

“The European Development Days are a great opportunity to celebrate development work. We are pleased that the agenda includes a session on media and development, but that is not enough,” said GFMD director Bettina Peters.

“For the European Union and African Union to recognise the key role free and independent media play in providing citizens with timely and accurate information and in giving them a voice in society, they have to create the structures for partnership with media companies, journalists, media support organizations. So far, neither the European Union nor the African Union have a person or department dedicated to media development. We hope this will have changed by the time we come around to the next EU-AU summit in a year’s time.”

The GFMD statement prepared in partnership with its regional organisation, the Africa Forum for Media Development and endorsed by Article 19, the African Media Initiative, the International Federation of Journalists and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers sets out ten points for action for the EU and AU to promote media freedom in Africa. Proposals include the creation of an African Peer Review Mechanism for Media Freedom and Access to Information. The mechanism would follow the methodology developed for the African Peer Review Mechanism that exists in the area of governance and should work very closely with the office of Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information.

“A peer review mechanism working closely with the office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression would check whether AU member states live up to the principles set out in key texts such as the 1991 UNESCO Windhoek Declaration, which was adopted by all UNESCO members in Africa,” said Bettina Peters.

“It would show clear commitment to media freedom for the EU and AU to establish such a mechanism. The GFMD and its partners are ready to talk more about our ideas with the European Union and the African Union. We are calling on both institutions to hold a meeting with the organisations representing journalists, media owners, media support organisations and press freedom groups in Africa to take these proposals further.”

Read the full statement:
GFMD_AFMD_WAN_IFJ: Statement to eu dev days

For further information, contact:
Bettina Peters at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), +32 478 235 263