Summary: Information / Discussion

Freedom of Information

This round table discussion session addressed some of the issues linked to freedom of expression, with particular attention to areas and ways in which it is abused. 

The Chair, Mr. Gordon-Lennox of Reporters without Borders, opened the meeting by reading out Article 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights, and went on to say that the right to express oneself freely is one of the most fragile and frequently abused human rights. He introduced the members of the panel, and explained that they would be addressing some of the abuses of the right to freedom of expression.

Reporters Without Borders Ms. Laurence Deonna, also of Reporters without Borders, introduced her organization, its history and mandate, defending freedom of the press. She pointed out that, with changes in the world, the enemies of freedom of the press have changed: they are no longer communist states and Latin American dictatorships, but ‘mafias’. Ms. Deonna expressed her sorrow that journalists are still being killed to prevent them from expressing themselves, and underlined the need to punish those responsible. She said that in many cases the identity of the killers is known, but nothing is done, and that this situation needs to be addressed. She brought up the idea of setting up a ‘virtual tribunal’ for the purpose of denouncing such cases and the criminals involved.

The PEN
Mr. Alexis Koutchoumow told participants that The PEN is a group of writers founded 80 years ago by a woman named Amy Dawson-Scott. He stressed that the initial purpose of the group was to create an atmosphere of appreciation of other cultures through literature, and that as a group it held no political position. It was neither specifically for peace nor against war, but simply took the view that through literature, knowledge of other cultures is increased and the rejection, fear and aggression which can lead to war are greatly reduced. Mr. Koutchoumow then went on to describe how, with an increasing number of dictatorships, The PEN had started a special committee to react against the imprisonment of writers, which is now one of the main aims of the organization.

Fall of Berlin Wall not the end of the fight for freedom of expression
Mr. Alain Modoux, the former Assistant Secretary-General of UNESCO, talked about the euphoria ten years ago when the Berlin Wall fell, and the important role played by journalists in achieving this state of relative freedom. However, he also pointed out that the fight for freedom of expression is by no means won. He observed that the need for freedom of speech manifests itself everywhere, and he gave the example of people in offices who see dishonesty and corruption at high levels in the company or organization and say nothing for fear of losing their jobs. Mr. Modoux also expressed concern that in some states the situation appears to be getting worse rather than better —censorship by the government no longer appears to be an option, but now governments get others to do the dirty work (he also mentioned the role played by ‘mafias’). He regretted that those who commit the crimes often go unpunished, even when their identity is known, and cited cases from Mexico and Guatemala.

Journalists in Argentina
Mr. Juan Alberto Gaspari, a writer from Argentina who, while not formally exiled, prefers not to return to his own country. He described the methods used by the Argentine Government to suppress journalists whose views are controversial: they are not killed, but forced to enter into legal battles, which cost them time, money and, above all, nerves. These legal processes go on for such a long time that the journalist is effectively silenced. Journalists also receive threats by telephone or mail, and may sometimes be attacked.

Freedom of expression in Chad
Mr. Frank Kodbaye, a journalist in exile from Chad, spoke about the situation with respect to freedom of expression in his country. Although the right to freedom of expression is technically written into the constitution, there are laws which prevent journalists from looking at ‘sensitive’ issues. Punishment for breaking these laws ranges from fines to imprisonment and torture. Mr. Kodbaye also talked about the emotional pressures on journalists from their families and explained that in Chad, no father wants his son to work as a journalist for fear of the consequences. He finished by paying tribute to the work of Reporters without Borders in his country.

Interesting questions
One delegate raised the question of the potential abuse of freedom of expression by terrorists. The panel acknowledged that there should be some limits, citing the ‘code of ethics’ for journalists, which is enforced in democratic countries. However, the point was raised that some countries are using the spectre of terrorism as a way of stifling freedom of expression, which was felt to be extremely dangerous.

Another delegate brought up the subject of restrictions on receiving information, citing the example of Cuba, where laws restrict the reading of certain documents, on the foundation that they are against the regime. The question led to an explanation of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a system by which world-wide alerts of abuses can be posted almost as soon as they happen.

An interesting debate was initiated when one delegate asked two members of the panel (Mr. Modoux and Mr. Koutchoumow) to defend their own actions in a position where they had had the power to make known or suppress information. Both responded and thanked the delegate for his inquiry.

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