Accept press freedom declaration – WAN

“The African press is crippled by a wide array of repressive measures, from the jailing and prosecution of journalists to the widespread scourge of “insult laws” and criminal defamation,” the Paris-based WAN said in a statement. “Press freedom remains a key to the establishment of good governance and durable development in Africa, to the fight against corruption, famine, poverty, violent conflict, disease and lack of education.”

“Matter of urgency”

The Declaration of Table Mountain, issued at the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, last month, calls on African governments “as a matter of urgency” to abolish all laws that restrict press freedom, to release jailed journalists, abolish draconian press laws and recognise the importance of press freedom for economic, political and social development.

In calling today for African leaders to take action, WAN and WEF documented 229 cases of editors, journalists and other media workers who have been harassed, assaulted, beaten, arrested, detained or imprisoned in 27 African countries between January and May 2007. Of particular concern are so-called “insult laws”, which make it a criminal offence to “insult” presidents and other public figures and are often used to jail government critics.

The declaration, and details of the cases, can be found at { www.wan-press.org/article14354.html}}.

The Declaration of Table Mountain, named for the prominent landmark overlooking Cape Town, was endorsed by the boards of the Paris-based WAN and the WEF.

The declaration:

• calls for African governments to abolish insult laws and all other laws that restrict press freedom “as a matter of urgency.”

• calls for the immediate release of all jailed journalists and the return of journalists who have been forced into exile.

• condemns the repression of African media by censorship and “the use of other devices such as levying import duties on newsprint and printing materials and withholding advertising”.

• calls on governments to promote “the highest standards of press freedom” and to provide constitutional guarantees of freedom of the press.

• calls on the African Union immediately to include press freedom and independent media in the criteria for “good governance” in the African Peer Review Mechanism.

• calls on international institutions to promote progress in press freedom in Africa through such steps as assisting newspapers in legal defence, skills development and access to capital and equipment.

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18 000 newspapers; its membership includes 76 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 10 regional and world-wide press groups.