At second OSCE-hosted meeting, journalists’ unions adopt action plan to improve media freedom situation in and around Ukraine

VIENNA, 27 June 2014 – Representatives of Ukrainian and Russian journalists’ unions agreed to co-operate on steps to increase journalists’ safety and professionalism as they met again today in Vienna. The meeting was hosted by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media with the purpose to forge a plan to improve the situation for media working in and around Ukraine.

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović opened the meeting by stressing the importance of the need for an inclusive dialogue on media freedom issues in Ukraine.

“The meeting today centred on two countries, but one profession,” said Nadezhda Azhgikhina, Executive Secretary of the Russian Union of Journalists. “This dialogue and the co-operation between the journalist unions will continue to pave the way for improving the situation for journalists in and around Ukraine.”

“This dialogue maximizes our contribution to the issues at hand, safety of journalists in the east of Ukraine, countering and resisting propaganda and support to colleagues who suffered,” said Sergey Tomilenko, Acting Chairman of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.

With the action plan the journalists agreed, among other things, to create a group to monitor violations of journalists’ rights and to lobby publishers to provide special training in conflict reporting.

“The action plan will be a hands-on and guiding strategy to make journalists safer, to improve access to information and professional standards among members of the media,” Mijatović said.

“The steps forward we have agreed upon are essential, these are steps devoted to improving journalists’ safety and their rights. We have also agreed to pay special attention to ethical standards going forward,” Azhgikhina said.

Representatives of the National Union of the Journalists of Ukraine, the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine, and the Russian Union of Journalists attended the meeting, along with representatives of the International Federation of Journalists, European Federation of Journalists, the International Press Institute and Reporters without Borders.

This was the second meeting between Ukrainian and Russian journalists under the auspices of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; the first one took place on 19 May 2014 in Vienna.

The action plan is available at: www.osce.org/fom/120451.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more atwww.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on facebook.com/osce.rfom.