The Stability Pact Media Task Force works to provide assistance to the development
of free, independent, professional and diverse media in South Eastern Europe.
Being a collaborative effort, the Media Task Force combines all relevant actors
in the field of media assistance: donor countries, international (non-governmental)
organizations as well as recipient countries, represented by the chairmen of National
Working Groups, which operate under the auspices of the Media Task Force.
The Media Task Force, has several notable achievements to its credit:
The Media Task Force has four main areas of activity:
- Implementing
the Charter for Media Freedom, by cooperating with state authorities through the
National Working Groups as well as directly via the Office of the Special Coordinator
of the Stability Pact.
- Designing a comprehensive strategy for media assistance,
in order to ensure a common focus of donors towards a sustainable level playing
field for professional media in the region.
- Stimulating targeted support to
media development and regional cooperation.
- Generating carefully selected
projects and submitting these for funding, thereby serving as a forum for exchange
between donors and recipients for funding of selected projects.
Following
the appointment of the present chairman and executive secretary in June and July
2001 respectively, activities focused on the National Working Groups, the strategy
for media assistance, the identification of several key projects and the establishment
of closer relations with the EC within the framework of the CARDS programming.
Quick Start Package
At the First Regional Funding
Conference for South East Europe, held in March 2000, a total of 33 media projects
found support from a wide range of donors. By the end of the year, the sum of
money committed to these projects had increased from some 15.3 million Euro to
some 20.1 million Euro. Of this total, money, equipment and services amounting
in value to over 8.4 million Euro -- more than half of the total amount pledged
at the Conference -- had been disbursed to the project implementers before 1 January
2001. Five of the original projects had been abandoned or cancelled. Many of the
remaining 28 projects are long-term, envisaged to run over a 36-month period.
For further information about the Quick Start Package, please follow the link
on the home page.
Charter for Media Freedom
The
Charter
for Media Freedom was prepared by a wide range of participants, both governmental
and non-governmental, in the Media Task Force. The document was adopted by the
members of the Stability Pact at Thessaloniki on 8 June 2000.
By this act,
the members reaffirmed their commitment to ensure the highest international standards
of freedom of expression. They undertook to launch a process of internal review
and dialogue ("public debate") to establish which reforms were needed to bring
the situation in their countries into line with the norms and standards acknowledged
in the Charter concerning inter alia the legal framework, public service broadcasting,
economic independence of media, access to information, protection of sources,
media ethics, and regional co-operation.
All in all, the Charter
for Media Freedom is a landmark document. It provides a common, shared set
of standards and point of reference for media reform and development in the Stability
Pact countries.
Having secured the adoption of the Charter for Media Freedom,
the Media Task Force called on member governments to publicise the Charter. The
governments were asked to designate national contact points and the Media Task
Force proceeded with the establishment of National Working Groups.
National
Working Groups
The originality of the National
Working Groups consists in the relationship envisaged between the governments
and media professionals. According to this arrangement, the governments agree
to the formation of groups of professionals who will assist them (the governments)
to implement the Charter for Media Freedom. In this way, the governments acknowledge
the need to include the media community itself in the process of carrying out
structural reforms of the media sphere.
To date, National Working Groups have
been established in Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia,
Albania, Montenegro and Moldova. They are comprised of media professionals, members
of the civil society and representatives from the state authorities. The National
Working Groups further the implementation of the Charter for Media Freedom. They
prepare media
action plans, outlining specific priorities for media assistance, advise on
projects and liaise with authorities. The US State Department provides financial
support to the work of the NWG.
The tasks, responsibilities and composition
are further outlined in the Terms
of Reference of the National Working Groups.
Strategy for Media
Assistance in SEE
The Strategy
for Media Assistance was adopted at the Media Task Force meeting held on 10
October 2001. It serves as a guiding document for donors and focuses on creating
a sustainable level playing field, to allow a variety of media to operate professionally
and independently. Hence, the strategy shifts from emergency assistance to initiatives
that have a longer-term impact and benefit the media at large. It emphasizes a
collaborative effort in areas such as legislation, training, public broadcasting
and networks of private outlets or associations.
