[E-rundbrief] Info 1857 - UNESCO – Freedom of Information: The Right to Know 2010
Matthias Reichl
info at begegnungszentrum.at
Mo Apr 29 15:40:54 CEST 2019
E-Rundbrief Info 1857 - UNESCO Brisbane Declaration – Freedom of
Information: The Right to Know.
Bad Ischl, 29.4.2019
Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
www.begegnungszentrum.at
================================================
https://www.transcend.org/tms/2019/04/unesco-brisbane-declaration-freedom-of-information-the-right-to-know/
UNESCO Brisbane Declaration – Freedom of Information: The Right to Know
THE UNITED NATIONS, 29 Apr 2019
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization –
TRANSCEND Media Service
We, the participants at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day conference
in Brisbane, Australia, 3 May 2010:
Recalling Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without
interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Noting that the Millennium Declaration highlights good governance as
being central to development and the eradication of poverty, and
acknowledging that press freedom and the right to know are essential
to promoting democracy and ensuring respect for all human rights and
fundamental freedoms;
Underscoring the principles set forth in the Declarations of Windhoek,
Alma-Ata, Sana’a, Santiago and Sofia, which identify a free,
pluralistic and independent media as a cornerstone of democratic
societies and development;
Reaffirming the principles and recommendations of the Doha Declaration
of 3 May 2009 on the Potential of Media for Dialogue, Mutual
Understanding and Reconciliation, and the Maputo Declaration of 3 May
2008 on Fostering Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and
Empowerment of People;
Recalling the Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) phases of the World
Summit of the Information Society, which reaffirmed freedom of
expression and universal access to information as essential
foundations of inclusive knowledge societies;
Reaffirming that the right to information is an integral part of the
right to freedom of expression, and that both are fundamental
underpinnings of democracy and all other rights and freedoms;
Defining the right to information as the right of everyone to access
information held by public bodies at all levels, local, national and
international;
Emphasizing that the right to information is critical for informed
decision-making, for participation in democratic life, for monitoring
of public actions, and for enhancing transparency and accountability,
and represents a powerful tool to fight corruption;
Highlighting that the right to information is instrumental to the
realization of people’s empowerment, and strengthened civic trust, and
for promoting the equality of all groups in society, including women
and indigenous peoples;
Noting that improved access to information contributes to
strengthening markets, increasing investment, reducing financial
vulnerability and enhancing the effectiveness of development aid;
Recognizing the potential of information and communication
technologies (ICTs), when accessible to all, to facilitate full
realization of the right to information for all people, including
women and indigenous peoples;
Welcoming growing global recognition of the right to information,
reflected in international statements, conventions and jurisprudence,
as well as in the significant recent trend to adopt right to
information laws at the national level;
Aware that the majority of the world’s States have still not adopted
legislation giving effect to this fundamental right;
Concerned that even where right to information laws have been adopted,
their implementation faces significant challenges, including political
and bureaucratic resistance;
Honoring the journalists and media personnel who contribute to press
freedom and the right to information through their work, often bravely
risking their lives in the process;
Condemning the intimidation, attacks, arrests and murders faced by
journalists and media personnel all over the world, which dramatically
violate their own fundamental rights and the right of everyone to
receive a diversity of information and ideas.
Call on Member States:
To enact legislation guaranteeing the right to information in
accordance with the internationally-recognized principle of maximum
disclosure;
Such legislation should establish limited exceptions, proactive
obligations to disclose information, clear and simple procedures for
making requests, an independent and effective oversight system, and
adequate promotional measures;
To ensure the effective implementation of the right to information by
allocating sufficient financial and human resources for the structures
and systems that are required to successfully implement legislation;
To ensure that the wider legal environment is consistent with and
supports the right to information, including by protecting freedom of
expression and press freedom, by establishing other disclosure
systems, and by bringing secrecy rules into line with the principle of
maximum disclosure;
To foster public awareness about the right to information and to
develop the capacity of everyone to exercise that right, placing
particular emphasis on disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, including
women, minority language groups, indigenous peoples and disabled persons;
To enable unfettered access to information relevant to human rights
violations, including information held in current and historical archives.
To harness the power of information communication technologies (ICTs)
to realize the right to information and to foster enhanced pluralism
in information flows;
To bridge the digital and knowledge divide by overcoming low literacy
levels and poor Internet connectivity, and by making information
available in local languages and in a form that is easily
understandable by diverse audiences;
To urge international organizations of which they are members to adopt
enforceable and effective right to information policies, based on the
principle of maximum disclosure;
To give renewed emphasis to public debate on the role of journalism
and independent media in the creation of a culture of democratic
pluralism, through journalism that is transparent, credible, relevant
and with a degree of accountability founded on principles of
self-regulation that will build public trust in journalism and
independent media;
To examine, in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, new forms
of assistance to media, including supporting innovation in the
development of media, encouraging investigative and ethical
journalism, and promoting public service values in journalism, while
ensuring that the provision of assistance does not compromise
editorial independence and journalistic freedom;
To promote media literacy and awareness about the right to
information, including through incorporating these topics into school
curricula and higher education courses, and training programs for
civil services;
Call on professional associations, media outlets and industry:
To raise awareness about freedom of expression and the right to
information;
To promote and support investigative journalism and to raise awareness
about the role played by the right to information in journalism;
To implement innovative strategies aimed at channeling relevant
information to the marginalized and underrepresented, and at promoting
diversity in the workplace;
To contribute to disseminating good practices and experiences
showcasing the direct link between the right to information,
journalism, democracy and people’s quality of life;
To provide leadership in support of the principles of transparency and
accountability by adopting policies on the disclosure of information
within the media industry, especially regarding ownership, revenues
from official advertising, and other forms of funding;
To promote social dialogue between employers and media personnel aimed
at creating partnerships in order to strengthen attachment to ethical
standards and the creation of transparency, credibility and relevance
in the provision of information;
To respect freedom of association and core labor standards, to work
towards improving the safety and working conditions of journalists and
other media personnel, and to provide adequate training opportunities;
To promote and strengthen forms of self-regulation and new forms of
review of performance of media that enhance and support ethical
journalism, with the aim of building public trust;
Call on UNESCO:
To sensitize Member States, public authorities, civil society and
individuals about freedom of expression and the right to information,
and their centrality in a democratic society;
To provide assistance and to promote synergies between relevant actors
for the development and implementation of laws and policies fostering
freedom of expression and the right to information, with particular
attention to the needs of small island States;
To support initiatives aimed at promoting professional and ethical
standards in journalism and to promote a new approach to media
accountability based upon principles of self-regulation;
To promote the free flow of information and ideas through the
Internet, and to condemn censorship and other violations of Internet
freedom of expression;
To support efforts to increase media and information literacy and
awareness about the right to information through their inclusion at
different levels of educational and training systems;
To foster research, documentation and the sharing of good practices on
and implementation of the right to information;
To ensure the inclusion of freedom of expression, press freedom and
the right to information, and the related issues addressed throughout
this Declaration, as key topics within the development agenda, and to
facilitate discussion and a coordinated approach on these matters
among UN agencies and other relevant stakeholders;
To adopt a UNESCO framework giving effect to the right to information
in relation to its own operations, and to promote the adoption of
similar policies by other agencies of the United Nations;
To communicate this Declaration to Member States and other
international and regional organizations for their consideration;
To use this Declaration as a reference for UNESCO’s activities in the
field of freedom of expression and the right to information.
Go to Original – unesco.org
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/world-press-freedom-day/previous-celebrations/2010/brisbane-declaration/#topPage
Tags: FOIA, Journalism, Media, UNESCO, freedom of information, freedom
of the press, press
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Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Wolfgangerstr. 26, 4820 Bad Ischl, Austria,
fon: +43 6132 24590, Informationen/ informations,
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