UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened a four-day meeting of the World Electronic Media Forum (WEMF) yesterday in Geneva as a parallel event to the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS).
During the event, the president of WEMF presented Annan with the Broadcasters’ Declaration, a document that discusses the broadcasters’ role in creating an inclusive information society and bridging the digital divide.
In his keynote remarks, Annan made it clear that he supports the freedom of the media, saying that WSIS should reaffirm governments’ commitment to this fundamental freedom. The freedom of the press is essential, he said. ‘It is one thing for governments to establish regulatory and policy frameworks. But when they go further down the slope towards censorship and harassment, all of us – and potentially all our rights – are imperilled. The Summit must reaffirm this fundamental freedom.”
Ironically, his speech comes at a time when the role of the media in building an inclusive information society has been a contentious issue, impeding the drafting of the WSIS Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action.
Speaking of the contributions that information technologies and the electronic media can make in today’s world, Annan pointed out, ‘With the explosion in knowledge and capacity, we have, more than ever before, the ability to reach development goals we have sought for many, many years. Like those who witnessed the dawn of the industrial age, people around the world have been given their first glimpses of exciting new achievements ahead.”
Saying that there is the ‘thirst for connectivity” in the world, Annan said, ‘All over the developing world, antennas and satellite dishes sprout across the landscape – some of them placed there in defiance of the authorities. We can see the immense thirst for connection. Let us show that we are listening.”
The Broadcasters’ Declaration, tabled by the World Broadcasting Unions (WBU), a body comprising regional broadcasting unions representing the leading radio and television organisations in the world, puts forward five principles and objectives.
Firstly, the declaration says that communications technology is not an end in itself; it is a vehicle for the provision of information and content. Secondly, it says freedom of expression, freedom and pluralism of the media, and cultural diversity should be respected and promoted. Thirdly, the electronic media have a vital role to play in the information society. Fourthly, the declaration says television and radio are crucial for ensuring social cohesion and development in the digital world, and, finally, information should remain accessible and affordable to everyone.
The ceremony was a slick and colourful event that used video conferencing to broadcast speeches from officials in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. A large TV screen broadcast the event live, while rapidly moving images of major international news of the past year acted as backdrop. — Hana