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SARAJEVO, April 13 (FENA) - The OSCE Representative for Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro at a news conference in Sarajevo today said that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to pass legislation quickly to address some of the problems with media freedoms that she noted during her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past three days when she conducted a number of talks with representatives of domestic authorities and the international community, media representatives and the non-governmental sector.
The adoption of this legislation should be preceded by an inclusive process involving several sides and their opinions, Ribeiro said at a press conference.
In addition to an adequate legal framework, full implementation of regulations is equally important, which requires strong political will, and adequate legal protection is important for the safety of journalists.
Teresa Ribeiro says that she talked to the prosecutor of the Sarajevo Canton in that sense, who expressed determination to apply such an approach, and that, according to the OSCE representative, should be followed by prosecutors at other levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Examples of good practice in the field of security and protection of journalists also need to be expanded, Ribeiro said.
Promoting self-regulatory measures, accountability of media outlets and journalists, and the adoption and adherence to high professional standards are also extremely important, she said.
Teresa Riberio made these main recommendations after exchanging opinions with her interlocutors on the situation in the field of media freedoms in the past three days.
She noted that there is a wide and diverse media landscape in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the effective engagement of society in public debates.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is no exception, she added, because the overall situation in this area is related to the dynamics in the social, political and economic plan, so she noticed hate speech and misinformation as some of the problems in the media space.
In terms of media freedom, the main challenges, in her view, are the financial sustainability of the public broadcasting service, whose role should be crucial in the democratic landscape.
When it comes to access to information, this can be one of the main problems for journalists, their safety as well, and not only physical, meaning it is necessary to provide adequate working conditions, legal and safety ones, she said.
As one of the issues, she singled out the need for the CRA to be politically independent.
Transparency of media ownership was also one of the topics in her three-day meetings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the OSCE representative said.
The Head of the OSCE Mission to BiH, Kathleen Kavalec, also addressed the journalists at the press conference, stressing the lack of a systemic solution against attacks on journalists.
The OSCE remains committed to creating an environment in which all media representatives will work freely, Kavalec said.
(FENA) S. R.
