Global forum adopts roadmap for media’s role in development
A global media forum aimed at contributing to the ongoing international debate about the importance of media for peace and sustainable development kicked off in Bali on Tuesday
The three-day forum, titled “The role of media in realizing the future we want for all”, adopted the “Bali Roadmap” for media and development, which includes recommendations on both media development and media as means of generating development.
Ensuring that free and independent media and information and communications technologies will have a prominent position in the new post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals will encourage the media to improve their services to society, particularly to poor, weak or excluded groups. The inclusion of a goal that points to the role media play for the democratic and effective functioning of society would mean emphasis on the fact that all citizens have a right to access news and knowledge in the format of timely, relevant, comprehensible and continuous information from a variety of sources and perspectives, and the option of participating without fear of repression in the public discourse.
The Global Media Forum brought together media development and human development experts from across the world and culminated with the release of the “Bali Road Map,” a call to action for the inclusion of media on the global development agenda aimed at governments and media. Read it here (PDF).
The Bali Roadmap for Media and Development includes recommendations on both media development and media for development.The role media play in educating the public on issues related to education, health, the environment, gender, and minorities should not be underestimated. Independent media, and not least community media, give voice to those who are often not heard and make it possible for marginalised groups to become active citizens by having an influence on political decisions that affect their lives. The Road Map stipulates that countries and the international community must ensure the conditions for this are realised in every region of the world and media and civil society must seize the opportunities that new media have offered to connect with broader audiences.
The following paper produced for the Global Media Forum conference in Bali from 25 – 28 August, provides a clear analysis of the connection between media and positive global development in a world where human development will increasingly depend on people’s access to information: GMF Background Paper (PDF).
Safeguarding journalists
One of the burning and central issues framing IMS’ work in conflict zones around the world, the focus on safety of journalists and fighting impunity, was taken up in one session moderated by IMS Director jesper Højberg. It is a key objective of IMS to contribute to fostering environments conducive to media freedom and safe working conditions for journalists through a comprehensive and systematic approach to safety combining training, advocacy and a number of practical measures such as safe houses and hotlines.
Safety of journalists is a precondition for freedom of speech as journalists cannot report unhindered if they fear for their lives, or those of their loved ones. Furthermore, when people who attack or kill journalists go unpunished, the prevailing state of impunity for their actions leads to self-censorship amongst journalists and society at large. In this way, the problem of impunity exposes weaknesses in a society’s criminal justice system, and is an index of the state of the rule of law in that jurisdiction. The UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, being rolled out in a handful of countries around the world by IMS, UNESCO and Open Society Foundations is one attempt to address these issues together.
The UN Plan of Action has the objective to develop comprehensive safety and protection mechanisms and strategies to combat impunity. It involves journalist associations and media rights organisations, government institutions, international media support organisations and UN agencies and is currently being rolled out in Pakistan, Nepal, Iraq, South Sudan, Honduras and Mexico. One of its aims is to support the set-up of national safety mechanisms driven by local actors, and working with authorities to secure their support and understanding. While the plan is still in its natal stage and its indicators of success still in need of strengthening, according to Jesper Højberg, the UN Plan of Action on the safety of journalists is a positive, concerted step taken to ensure better safety for media around the world and a coordinate approach to addressing impunity.
Read more about the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.
