Conference on Democratisation of the Mass Media in Belarus Took Place in Warsaw
International conference on Democratisation of the Mass Media in Belarus took place 6 and 7 June in a building of Polish Parliament in Warsaw. Journalists, civil and political activists from Belarus participated in it as well as representatives of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, European Parliament, international NGOs and foundations. The core of the conference was the hearings and discussion on the media situation in Belarus.
There were several topics discussed during the conference, namely the issue of the freedom of expression, international support to independent media in Belarus, media law including planned changes in legislation concerning Internet and the role of human rights and NGOs activists.
"How is it possible that free people cannot say what they think? Is this a nightmare that came back?" those were emotional words
"Thus conference shows us that the issue of the freedom of expression in Belarus has a priority for European community. This means that regulating the interrelations between Belarusian authorities and independent press is one of the conditions of the full-strength cooperation of European institutions with official Minsk. We think that this issue should be one of the main conditions of the renewal of the special guest status of Belarus in the Council of Europe", Zhanna Litvina, the Chairperson of BAJ, told in her speech.
During the hearings and the discussions there were possibilities to touch upon all the problems Belarusian independent media have including their economic, social and political aspects. According to Zhanna Litvina, it is significant that Belarusian civil society has become able to raise itself over small interior problems to address the representatives of European institutions with a common idea: the dialogue between the authorities and the opposition, civil activists, journalists is impossible unless the problem with the freedom of expression in Belarus is solved.
The participants of the conference found no overall improvement of the situation in the field of media and the freedom of expression in Belarus. More than that, the resolution adopted by the conference goes that the pressures on and persecution of structures of civil society, including independent press and journalists, continue.
"The policy of Belarusian authorities to independent media remains severe", the resolution goes.
"I am disappointed by the lack of change in the situation with the freedom of press in the Republic of Belarus. This issue has been thoroughly studied during the conference, with the participation of many experts who have a good idea of what is happening in Belarus. And we saw no evidence of a change in relations of the Belarusian authorities to the problems of media and any improvement of the situation with free press in Belaris", Andrew McIntosh, the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on the Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, told BAJ Press Service.
One of the main results of the conference on democratization of the mass media in Belarus was a suggestion to establish a European Monitoring Council on Media in Belarus. This Council will concentrate on monitoring and expert analysis of the situation with media and the freedom of expression in Belarus, reacting to the steps of Belarusian authorities in the field of media and the freedom of expression, and on recommendations for improvement of the situation with freedom of expression in Belarus.
The Conference invited BAJ to organize the Council and contact the partners. Representatives of the PACE, the European Parliament and OSCE are invited to become honorary members of the Council. It is decided that European Monitoring Council on Media in Belarus will include experts from several international NGOs.
"I hope that the creation of the Monitoring Council will become a step towards consolidation of international journalistic and human rights organizations and prominent European politicians around the Belarusian problem and our demands", Zhanna Litvina says.
The resolution of the conference also contains the calls on the Belarusian authorities to stop using the articles of the Criminal Code to restrict the right to seek, receive and impart information; reform national media legislation and bring it in accordance with international standards; and to provide equal economic conditions for media outlets of different types of ownership.
The conference on democratization of the mass media in Belarus was organized by the Council of Europe, the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe together with Casimir Pulaski Foundation from Poland. Last time the hearings of such high level on the freedom of expression in Belarus were held in 2002 in Strasbourg.
