Journalists Warn of Global UN Crackdown on Press Freedoms

From: "Aftermath News"
Journalists Warn of Global UN Crackdown on Press Freedoms

Journalists Warn of Human Rights Agenda "Hijack" After United Nations Suspends
NGO

Media release 11 August 2003
Journalists Warn of Human Rights Agenda "Hijack" After United Nations Suspends
NGO

The year-long suspension of a press freedom group from the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights provides "worrying evidence of a major crisis for
press freedom at world level," said the International Federation of Journalists
today.
"It looks increasingly as though the UN human rights agenda is being hijacked
by governments dedicated to censorship and intolerance of dissent," said Aidan
White, IFJ General Secretary.

The IFJ has written to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and to the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Sergio Vieira de Mello about the suspension of the
Paris-based group Reporters Sans Frontiers which staged a protest during a
meeting of the commission in March to protest over the decision to let Libya
chair the commission.

The group's consultative status with the commission was suspended on July 24
for one year on a split vote after a request by Libya and Cuba.
"We may not agree with the style of protest," said White, "but this suspension
is wholly unjustified. The fact that behind it are regimes with an appalling
record on human rights and much to hide on free expression severely damages the
credibility of the United Nations human rights commission."

Among the 27 country's voting in favour were China, Iran, Pakistan, Libya,
Cuba and Zimbabwe, countries where journalists have been jailed, censored or
violently attacked in recent years. "It is a tragic sign of the times that
freedom to dissent which many of these countries have outlawed at national
level, is now being curtailed on a global level," said White.

The IFJ has also complained to Secretary General Annan that the UN Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC), the body that took this decision, never invited the
French group to explain its action. "This denial of natural justice adds to the
overwhelming sense that this a decision out of all proportion to the gravity of
the offence and is motivated by spite from some of the countries involved."

The IFJ says that the UN must move immediately to counter the view that its
human rights policies and actions are being directed by a core group of
countries that are resentful of international reports by press freedom defenders
who highlight their abuse of human rights.
"If human rights policy has any future it must be in the hands of governments
with a credible record that are committed to democracy and principles of free
expression," said White.

Further information: + 32 2 235 22 00
The IFJ represents more than 500,000 journalists in more than 100 countries
Pièce jointe : UN030811_3f38a1bc01db0.doc
Auteur : Sarah de Jong - Publié le 2003-08-12

Journalists Warn of Human Rights Agenda "Hijack" After United Nations Suspends
NGO
The year-long suspension of a press freedom group from the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights provides "worrying evidence of a major crisis for
press freedom at world level," said the International Federation of Journalists
today.
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