TBILISI, 12 November 2010 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, today called on the authorities of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to respect the right of people’s access to government-held information by implementing their countries’ laws in this field.
“We need to change the culture of secrecy and confidentiality for a culture of transparency,” Mijatovic told the 7th OSCE South Caucasus Media Conference, which ended today in Tbilisi.
“Media freedom and freedom of speech in the digital age mean giving everyone – not just a small number of people who own the dominant modes of mass communication, but everyone – an opportunity to use new technologies to participate in decision-making processes, to interact with each other and with public institutions and to share information about politics, public issues and popular culture.”
She said the Internet was an open space for debate to which governments should facilite wider access.
“Minimum state interference in online, as well as in off-line media content, is a guarantee for pluralism, development and trust,” she said.
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