WSIS and Media
Content
WSIS Statements
Address by Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, at the WSIS Opening Session
 Extract:
We look to media organizations, which are both creators of content and essential
watchdogs. At yesterday's World Electronic Media Forum, broadcasting leaders from all the world's regions adopted a declaration in which they pledged to do their part for development and social cohesion. It is vital that they retain their freedom to do so, as spelt out in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Indeed, the right to freedom of opinion and expression is fundamental to development, democracy and peace,
and must remain a touchstone for our work ahead.
Full text
Statement by Jean Stock, WEMF President, to the WSIS Plenary Session
December 12, 2003
He was 35. He was Australian, and father to an 8-year-old boy. And he died in Iraq last March. Taras Protsiuk is one of 123 journalists to have lost their lives since the beginning of the year while doing their job gathering information.
I have only three minutes at my disposal. So I won't be asking you for a minute's silence in memory of these 123 journalists. However, I suggest we adopt the Italian tradition of applauding to say goodbye and thank you to those who left us before their hour had come.
We have been 621 people here, representing a total of 374 organizations from 112 countries, attending between Tuesday and today the World Electronic Media Forum organized in conjunction with Monsieur Shashi Tharoor, UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, his staff in New York and Geneva, and the Swiss authorities. For the first time in media history the heads of the world's broadcasting unions have adopted a joint platform, which was handed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan on your behalf. This platform served as a basis for our work. I will not reiterate its content here, as it has already been given to you, but just allow me to draw your attention to the highlights of our work that followed this declaration from broadcasters. I would draw five conclusions:
1. There is no conflict between software and hardware, between the content and the carrier. One cannot exist without the other and consequently one must respect and valorize the other. We, the electronic media, are prepared to provide the content.
2. In the many territories of the emerging countries, the new media of the information society is first and foremost radio. The figures speak for themselves:
- There are 6.5 billion people on Earth,
- 700 million own a computer,
- 1.4 billion a mobile phone,
- 3.5 billion a television set,
- and 4.5 billion own a radio.
Radios are above all local media. Often they are the voice of a rural community. For example, ten years ago in Sub-Saharan Africa there were just 10 independent radio stations; now there are thousands.
3. The Web may be worldwide but its success relies on the organization of the local connection facilities. To achieve this aim, consulting and creating websites via the radio using wifi connections is now the quickest, cheapest way to enable communities to use the Web in their own language. These small transmitter-receivers connect to the Internet via satellite.
4. Local productions can also present a real interest at worldwide level. We would like to see every country authorize the unlimited uplinking of pictures and sound from their territories via satellite, just as has been done in Europe for over 50 years with Eurovision. In addition to information, this technique must also allow local, regional and national cultures to be spread around the globe. This is the role Euroradio has already been playing in Europe for more than 10 years for music exchanges.
5. Radio and television feed cultural identity and diversity. They are therefore a forum for democratic debate. They are spaces that must remain open to everyone. And to fulfil this mission, broadcasting needs the editorial independence that guarantees its credibility. Yet to be credible a journalist needs to be trained. We would therefore like to emphasize to you the importance of training for journalists and those who provide them with information in your name.
At this very moment there are 400 journalists in prison. This situation is certainly also the result of a lack of responsible, professional contacts between those who govern and those who inform the population.
I will conclude by telling you that we are already preparing ourselves for the Tunis summit in November 2005. Two years in our industry is a very long time. We need only remember that the Internet has existed for the general public for nine years. Broadcasters, the content producers, and journalists will be preparing for the Tunis summit in such a way that in two years' time, each and every one of you, heads of State and government, will be able to say: "I am proud of my radio and television stations and the role they play in the information society. They are professional and independent.
This evolution, or might I even say this revolution, is thanks to me!"
Français
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Media paragraphs in the WSIS Declaration and Plan of Action
Declaration of Principles (WSIS-03/GENEVA/DOC/4-E)
Extract:
9) Media
55. We reaffirm our commitment to the principles of freedom of the press and freedom of information, as well as those of the independence, pluralism and diversity of media, which are essential to the Information Society. Freedom to seek, receive, impart and use information for the creation, accumulation and dissemination of knowledge are important to the Information Society. We call for the responsible use and
treatment of information by the media in accordance with the highest ethical and professional standards. Traditional media in all their forms have an important role in the Information Society and ICTs should play a supportive role in this regard. Diversity of media ownership should be encouraged, in conformity with national law, and taking into account relevant international conventions. We reaffirm the necessity of reducing international imbalances affecting the media,
particularly as regards infrastructure, technical resources and the development of human skills.
Declaration of Principles - English
Déclaration de principes - Français
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Plan of Action (WSIS-03/GENEVA/DOC/5-E)
Extract:
B. Objectives, goals and targets
6.
(---)
h) to ensure that all of the world's population have access to television and radio services;
C. Action Lines
C9. Media
24. The media — in their various forms and with a diversity of ownership—as an actor, have an essential role in the development of the Information Society and are recognized as an important contributor to freedom of expression and plurality of information.
a) Encourage the media — print and broadcast as well as new media—to continue to play an important role in the Information Society.
b) Encourage the development of domestic legislation that guarantees the independence and plurality of the media.
c) Take appropriate measures—consistent with freedom of expression—to combat illegal and harmful content in media content.
d) Encourage media professionals in developed countries to establish partnerships and networks with the media in developing ones, especially in the field of training.
e) Promote balanced and diverse portrayals of women and men by the media.
f) Reduce international imbalances affecting the media, particularly as regards infrastructure, technical resources and the development of human skills, taking full advantage of ICT tools in this regard.
g) Encourage traditional media to bridge the knowledge divide and to facilitate the flow of cultural content, particularly in rural areas.
Plan of Action - English
Plan d'action - Français
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Civil Society Declaration to the WSIS
"Shaping Information Societies for Human Needs"
Extract:
2.3.2 Media
2.3.2.1 The Role of the Media
Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media are central to any conception of information and communication societies. The media is an integral enabling mechanism for a global communications vision. Its role in producing, gathering and distributing diverse content in which all citizens are included and can actively participate, is vital. Especially for the developing countries, broadcast radio and television will continue to be the most effective ways to deliver high-quality information. All forms of media can make crucial contributions to social cohesion and development in the digital era.
Article 19 is the foundation for five regional declarations on media freedom and plurality that must continue to frame the role of the media in all its means of delivery. These texts have been unanimously endorsed by the member states of UNESCO. Security and other considerations should not be allowed to compromise freedom of expression and media freedom. Media pluralism and diversity should be guaranteed through appropriate laws to avoid excessive media concentration.
Editorial independence of media professionals and creators must be protected and the formulation of professional and ethical standards in journalism and other media production must be the responsibility of media workers themselves. Online authors, journalists and editors should have the same contractual rights and social protections as other media workers.
Public service broadcasting has a specific and crucial role to play in ensuring the participation of all in the information and communication societies. State-controlled media should be transformed into editorially independent public service organisations.
2.3.2.2 Community Media
Community media, that is media which are independent, community-driven and civil society-based, have a particular role to play in enabling access to and participation for all in information and communication societies, especially the poorest and most marginalized communities. Community media can be vital enablers of information, voice and capacities for dialogue. Legal and regulatory frameworks that protect and enhance community media are especially critical for ensuring vulnerable groups access to information and communication.
Governments should ensure that legal frameworks for community media are non-discriminatory and provide for equitable allocation of frequencies through transparent and accountable mechanisms. Targets should be established for the opening up of broadcast licenses to allow for the operation of community broadcasting where this is not currently permitted. Spectrum planning and regulation should ensure sufficient spectrum and channel capacity, and appropriate technical standards, for community media to develop in both the analogue and the digital environment.
A Community Media Fund should be established through a donor civil society partnership to invest in and support community-driven media, information and communication initiatives using traditional media and new ICTs including projects that make provision for the poorest communities, for cultural and linguistic diversity and for the equal participation of women and girls. Community-based media and communication centres should be encouraged and assisted to combine traditional media technologies, including radio and television,
with access to new ICTs.
Full text
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Statement by
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
The following statement was issued 17 December 2003 by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights:
"The Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Ambeyi Ligabo, welcomed the adoption of the Draft Declaration of Principles and the Draft Plan of Action by the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, held in Geneva from 10 to 12 December 2003. However, the Special Rapporteur wishes to note that, in spite of the efforts of many participants in the Summit, human rights issues, especially the right to freedom of opinion and expression, were largely neglected. The Special Rapporteur underlines that fundamental human rights such as the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and other basic human rights, should be a constituent part of any declaration on the right to information.
In the view of the Special Rapporteur, the mere reiteration of a few well-established principles and commitments on human rights is not sufficient; human rights concepts should be integrated meaningfully in the Draft Declaration. Moreover, the Special Rapporteur also observes that the Draft Plan of Action appears deprived of any human rights strategy. The absence of an in-depth analysis of a number of crucial matters like media concentration, safeguards to press freedom on the Internet and obstacles to accessing it, may gravely hamper the good work done so far by international institutions and non-governmental organizations on these key documents.
The Special Rapporteur hopes that the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society, to be held in Tunis in 2005, will take remedial action on this shortcoming and human rights organizations working on freedom of opinion and expression are fully implicated in the preparation of the second phase of the Summit.
The Special Rapporteur remains at the disposal of the information community so as to provide a substantive contribution and further advice."
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Media events at the WSIS
World Forum on Communication Rights
The World Forum on Communication Rights is an independent civil-society led initiative, open to all seeking democratic, just and participative media and communication. The Forum was a one day event held alongside the WSIS, on December 11 2003.
Community Media Forum
The Community Media Forum took place on December 12 2003 to show by means of concrete examples from all over the world that these media are powerful instruments for participative community involvement.
The role of media in re-building post conflict societies
Communications technology in general and the media in particular can play a crucial role in the reconstruction of communities traumatised by violent conflicts and disasters. Panel discussion organised at the ICT4D platform 11 December 2003.
Other important media documents
The Bangkok Declaration
Recommendations adopted by the 1st Conference of the Ministers on Information
and Broadcasting in Asia and the Pacific region, Bangkok 27-28 May 2003.
The Bellagio Statement on Media, Freedom and Poverty
The Bellagio Symposium on Media, Freedom and Poverty, organised by PANOS, gathered delegates of numerous civil society organisations concerned with the media, 5 October 2003.
The African Charter on Broadcasting
Media advocacy organisations across Africa presented the African Charter on Broadcasting as
an African policy platform at the World Summit on the Information Society.
Links
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