(WAN/IFEX) – On 3 June 1998, the World Association of Newspapers called for the abolition of free press restrictions in the European Convention on Human Rights and in similar texts. In a resolution passed at its 51st World Newspaper Congress, WAN said that an article in the convention undermined the Universal Declaration of Human Rights […]
(WAN/IFEX) – On 3 June 1998, the World Association of Newspapers called for
the abolition of free press restrictions in the European Convention on Human
Rights and
in similar texts. In a resolution passed at its 51st World Newspaper
Congress, WAN said
that an article in the convention undermined the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and was being used as a “pretext to restrict the free flow of
information and expression.”
Any law that undermined the Universal Declaration’s protection of free
expression – including Article 10, Section 2 of the European Convention of
Human Rights, which allows for press restrictions in a wide variety of
circumstances – should be eliminated, the resolution said.
“Governments around the world, some of them far from Europe, point to the
European Convention as a justification for restricting the press on just
about any grounds,” said Timothy Balding, the Director General of WAN, the
global association of the newspaper industry.
The Universal Declaration, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in
1998, states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression” and puts no restrictions on that freedom.
But the European Convention states that freedom of expression can be subject
to “formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties” in a wide variety of
circumstances.
“WAN notes with grave concern that dozens of governments violate the
Declaration on a daily basis, despite the fact that they are parties to the
text,” the resolution said. “An alarming number of journalists are in jail
and newspapers continue to be censored, suspended and banned around the
world.”
It urged inter-governmental organizations and other bodies to eliminate
provisions which restrict freedom of expression and to adhere to the
Universal Declaration’s call for full and unrestricted freedom of
information and expression.
The resolution was announced on the final day of the World Newspaper
Congress and the World Editors Forum, the world press’s annual gatherings.
WAN, which is based in Paris, represents some 15,000 newspapers world-wide.
