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Greek and Turkish Cypriot journalists sign joint agreement
Participants at the "Cyprus Dialogue", hosted by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, in Nicosia, Cyprus, 25 April 2017. (OSCE/Gunnar Vrang)
The IFJ has backed a joint agreement signed between representatives of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot journalists at a meeting in Nicosia. The Memorandum of Understanding – designed to promote cooperation between journalists from both communities, was signed by IFJ affiliates the Union of Cyprus Journalists and the Turkish Cypriot press workers' union Basin-Sen as well as the Association of Turkish Cypriot Journalists at the meeting organised by the OSCE. Representatives of the three journalist unions agreed to mutual co-operation and solidarity on issues of journalists’ safety, access to information, and adherence to professional standards as part of the MoU. During the meeting the participants also discussed issues such as ethics, good governance and self-regulation in their work. IFJ Deputy General Secretary Jeremy Dear who attended the meeting said: “It is at times of conflict that societies need objective, unbiased reporting and accurate information the most. Professional solidarity and accountable journalism need to be constantly discussed and this dialogue is an excellent platform for that discussion. “Journalists unions are demonstrating their commitment to the values of ethical journalism and their willingness to take a stand to defend quality journalism against the many pressures it faces” Frane Maroevic, Director of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said. “Today’s expert meeting was an excellent opportunity to discuss many ways to promote accountable and quality journalism. We are committed to supporting the journalistic communities of Cyprus in their efforts to promote media freedom through this constructive dialogue.” The meeting was the second event of the “Cyprus Dialogue”, launched by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in March. Some 20 journalists from both communities participated in today’s event together with experts from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Ethical Journalism Network. Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot Journalists agreed to continue the Cyprus Dialogue under the auspices of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media with further meetings planned for the remainder of 2017.