IFJ/EFJ Conference on Journalism in the Shadow of Terror Laws
Progr 10 & 11 September 2011
Résidence Palace, Rue de la Loi 155
Brussels, Belgium
2011
marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington,
when almost 3000 people were killed in spectacular acts of terrorism involving
hijacked planes and high profile strikes at the political and business
community of the United States.
These
strikes have been followed by a dark decade particularly for journalists and
media staff who have been among the most prominent victims. The IFJ and its
regional organisation the European Federation of Journalists have decided to
focus on the legacy of the socalled "war on terror" and its impact on
journalists and their work at a world conference of journalists in Brussels on
September 10th and 11th. At the conference entitled "10 years after 9/11: Journalism
in the shadow of terror laws", journalists, human rights advocates and campaigners,
trade unionists, academics and politicians will highlight this crisis for free
speech and for press freedom. Member unions around the world and our regional
groups will put a spotlight on the laws and policies that are being used to
undermine journalists' rights and civil liberties.
The 9/11
attacks unleashed a decade of conflict and tragedy across the globe. Wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan; fresh terrorist strikes in Great Britain, Spain,
Indonesia and Turkey; state-sanctioned torture in the name of democracy; and a
range of unprecedented laws and policies that have enfeebled civil liberties
and human rights protection everywhere.
In every
corner of the world, journalism has been diminished by the shadow of terrorism.
Unscrupulous politicians have taken advantage of public anxiety and, in the
name of counter-terrorism, governments have introduced laws, forms of
surveillance and monitoring of peoples' lives that are selfserving and increase
the power of the state. Journalists have been subject to restrictions on their
freedom of movement. Spies have infiltrated newsrooms. Telephones have been
tapped. Prosecutions have been launched to discover sources of information.
At the
same time there have been numerous incidents of secret governmental co-operation
to increase covert surveillance of citizens travelling from country to country
and, worse, to sanction and condone the detention and torture of people alleged
to be implicated in terrorist activities.
For more background information, please read
- IFJ Report on Journalism and the War on Terrorism
- Report of the Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and Human Rights
- Joint IFJ and Statewatch Report on Terror laws
Programme
Day I Saturday, 10th September, polak room
10.00am Opening
Jim Boumelha, IFJ President
One Minute Silence for the victims of Terrorism
Arne König, EFJ President
Beth Costa, IFJ General Secretary
10.30am Keynote Addresses:
John Nichols, The Nation
Tony Bunyan, Director, Statewatch
Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Mary Robinson, Chairperson of Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
12.00-13.30pm Round Table:
Taking liberties: Impact of anti-terror legislation on civil liberties
Gilles De Kerschove, EU Counter Terrorism Coordinator
Roberto Natale, European Federation of Journalists
Antonio Elorza, El Pais
Martin Scheinin, former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism
Moderator: Beth Costa
13.30 – 14.30pm Lunch
14.30-16.00pm Panel One: War on terror: When journalists become targets
Sami Al Haj, Al Jazeera journalist imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay for six years
Hervé Ghesquière, journalist at France 3, former hostage in Afghanistan
Giuliana Sgrena, Italian Journalist, Il Manifesto, former hostage in Iraq
Moaiad Al Lami, President Iraqi Journalists’ Union
Moderator: Jean-Paul Marthoz, journalists and senior advisor of Committee to Protect Journalists
Panel Two: Anti-terror laws: Journalism under threat
Ben Hayes, Statewatch
Shiv Malik, Times Newspaper, British investigative journalist who fought successfully a court production order
Pervaiz Shukat, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists
Moderator: Arne König
16.00 16.30pm Break
16.30-18.00pm Panel Three: Maintaining journalism standards: Overcoming self-censorship
Agnes Callamard, Executive Director, Article XIX
Younes
M’Jahed, President, Journalists’ Union Morocco, IFJ Senior-Vice President
Seamus Dooley, Irish Secretary, National Union of Journalists, UK and Ireland
Grigory Shvedov, Editor, Caucasian Knot
Moderator: Olivier Da Lage
Panel Four: Confronting the law: Coalitions of resistance
Jason Parkinson, UK photographers’ campaign “I’m a photographer, not a terrorist”
Oktay Huduti , lawyer and former General Secretary of Turkish Press Council
Kamel Amarni, General Secretary, Syndicat National des Journalistes Algeriens
William Bourdon, French human rights lawyer
Moderator: Jim Boumelha
18.00pm End Day I
Day II Sunday, 11th September, malbeek room
10.00am Working Groups Report Back
Panel One:War on terror: When journalists become targets
Panel Two: Anti-terror laws: Journalism under threat
Panel Three:Maintaining journalism standards: Overcoming self-censorship
Panel Four: Confronting the law: Coalitions of resistance
12.30 – 13.30 Final Statement and Recommendations
Concluding Session and Final Conference Statement
13h30 – 14h00 Press briefing
13.30 – 14.30pm Lunch
At this conference the IFJ will reaffirm its call for:
- A review of all laws covering matters of national security and public welfare that restrict the movement of journalists and the rights of media to investigate public authorities and to report and publish freely;
- The introduction of freedom of information laws that guarantee citizens the right of access to official information;
- The elimination of all laws that criminalise acts of journalism, including defamation of institutions and religions;
- Official recognition of professional accreditation issued by independent journalists’ groups, including the International Press Card of the IFJ.
IFJ/EFJ member unions
Please return the registration form to Federica Caso by Monday, 15 August 2011.
Members of the public & journalists
Please send your name, contact details and the organisation you work for to Federica Caso before Friday, 9 September 2011.
All journalists are invited to a press briefing scheduled for 13h00 to 14h00
on 11 September. A media pack, including the programme and the biography of
speakers, will be distributed.
For more information, please contact Ernest Sagaga at (ernest.sagaga@ifj.org, tel: 32 2 235
2207) or Yuk Lan Wong (yuklan.wong@ifj.org tel: 32 2 235 2226).