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03. 07. 2014

OSCE ON IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

3.7.2014. (Tanjug, B92) - Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy and must be ensured and strengthened in the OSCE region, participants said today at the opening of a two-day OSCE human rights meeting in Vienna.


The annual OSCE meeting, organized by the Swiss Chairmanship, the Representative on Freedom of the Media and the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), brought together government and civil society representatives from the OSCE's 57 participating States, OSCE said in its press statement.

The main topic of the meeting were rights and responsibilities arising from the right to free expression. Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, participated in the meeting.

She said that obstacles to freedom of opinion and expression undermine the development and safeguarding of all other fundamental rights, including civil, cultural, economic, social and political rights and the right to development.

Ambassador Thomas Greminger of Switzerland, the Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council, stressed the pivotal role of freedom of expression to any democratic society.

"Given its critical role in democracy, the right to freedom of expression should be promoted to the maximum extent possible," Greminger said.

"Having the possibility of openly discussing sensitive questions, expressing critical views, or raising uncomfortable issues for ruling political parties are fundamental aspects of freedom of expression", he said and added that this distinguishes a pluralistic democratic society from a totalitarian or dictatorial regime.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, said that a key obstacle to fully embrace and implement OSCE commitments on freedom of expression is the lack of political will.

"The question is if OSCE participating States have achieved progress since this organization was founded in 1975 to ensure that we can speak our minds freely, without fear or repercussions," Mijatović said.

"Some significant steps have been taken, but I believe that we all agree on the fact that in many of the participating States we are light years away from living in societies where these noble notions are part of people's everyday lives. This must change", said Mijatović.

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