The Conclusion of the 5th AU-EU CSOS Seminar on Democratic Governance and Human Rights
The Conclusion of the 5th AU-EU CSOS Seminar on Democratic Governance and Human Rights
Kigali, Rwanda, 22 November 2015: The AU-EU CSOs Seminar on Democratic Governance and Human Rights concluded its 5th round today in Kigali, Rwanda, prior to the official AU-EU Human Rights Dialogue, which is to take place on 24 November 2015. AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, H.E. Dr. Aisha L. Abdullahi will lead the Dialogue from the African side and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis from the EU side.
The AU-EU CSOs Seminar on Democratic Governance and Human Rights was officially opened on 21 November 2015 under the leadership of Mr. Omar Faruk Osman and Jean-Marie Ruge Co-Chairs of the Africa-EU CSOs Joint Steering Committee. The opening ceremony included statements from the EU by the EU Head of Delegation to Rwanda, Ambassador Michael Ryan and from the AU delivered by Ambassador Salah S. Hammad.
This round of dialogue between the AU and the EU CSOs brought experts from both Africa and Europe and focused on Freedom of Expression as a basic human rights and explored means and ways to promote and protect this right on both continents. The African and European civil society seminar underlined that the independent civil society is a key guarantor of freedom of expression and recalled the States and continental organisations' responsibility in ensuring unhindered independent civil society participation and inclusion in transparent decision making.
The Seminar concluded its deliberations and made recommendations on the following areas:
Supporting unhindered independent civil society participation in decision making and making AU and EU truly people centered institutions.
Support protection of journalists and all actors of freedom of expression and more generally media independence
Support a culture of openness and right to info
Ensuring access to justice as a sine qua non aspect of freedom of expression
The Seminar also made specific recommendations for the AU and the EU as follows:
Treat violence against journalists as a direct attack on freedom of expression.
Lobby Member States to abandon practices of surveillance of journalists’ activities and forced disclosure of confidential journalistic sources.
Give their full support and effectively use and apply the existing continental and international legal framework, political commitments and recommendations, related to the protection of safety of journalists and freedom of expression actors regardless of their means of communication.
Encourage the adoption of legislation that fosters media freedom including the improvement of safe working conditions for journalists and guarantees unhindered access to information.
Promote freedom of information initiatives as the cornerstone for transparency and accountability by supporting production of state of implementation of freedom of information laws in Africa and in Europe.
Respect and support journalists and their self-regulatory bodies for prominently speaking out for integrity of their profession and against propaganda.
Respect the status of journalists in armed conflict zones in conformity with guarantees established by international and continental laws.
Promote targeted national activities on safety and security of journalists in conflict country in view of developing national action plans and tacking problem of impunity of crimes committed against journalists.
For More Information, Please Contact:
Mr. Salah S. Hammad I Department of Political Affairs I Phone: +251 11557700 Ext. 2615/Email: HammadS@africa-union.org
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dic@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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