Speech at Fritt Ord's and Zeit-Stiftung's press awards 2011

Key moments form the minister's speech

Honoured laureates, Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Meine Damen und Herren,

I am very honoured to have been invited to this prestigious event here at the Nobel Institute today. This occasion is one of the most important in the field of freedom of expression in Europe. It is a day of celebration, but also of concern.

Every year Fritt Ord and Zeit-Stiftung award prizes to outstanding journalists and media in Russia and Eastern Europe. Two years ago – and again today – I have the great honour to greet the laureates here in Oslo.
 
The laureates here today know what freedom of expression really means. In different ways, and under severe pressure, you have promoted free speech in your own countries.

In my view, the joint German–Scandinavian jury, chaired by Theo Sommer, editor-at-large of Die Zeit, has made a very good decision.

Freedom of expression is a key priority in Norway’s human rights policy. Freedom of expression is essential for the realisation of other fundamental rights, like freedom of assembly and access to information. It is a cornerstone of democracy.

However, restrictions on freedom of expression and threats to journalists are still common in many countries, even in Europe.

Censorship and control take a variety of forms, according to the various channels people use to express themselves.

New technologies provide new opportunities for expression, but offer little protection against violence, imprisonment and harassment.

Impunity, restrictions on access to information, defamation suits, unlawful fining by the tax authorities and new, and strict media laws continue to undermine freedom of expression.

The list of challenges also includes restrictions on radio broadcasts by foreign radio stations, withdrawal of broadcasting licenses, the closing down of newspapers, and constraints in connection with the so-called war on terror.
     
This year, the laureates come from Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Ukraine and Armenia. I am very glad you have come to Oslo to receive your awards.

Some of you take serious personal risks in connection with your work. We all know that journalists in many countries are harassed, threatened and even killed just for doing their job: using their pen, computer or microphone to examine social issues, criticise authorities or report on corruption and organised crime.

“Freedom is written by pen and earned by blood”, as Naziha Rejiba, president of Tunisia’s PEN centre, said at the International Freedom of Expression Exchange conference in Beirut in June this year.

The conference was supported by certain Western governments, including Norway, and the Open Society Foundation. It provided an important opportunity for freedom of expression defenders, courageous journalists and writers like today’s laureates to come together and share experiences.

For example, they shared experiences about how to fight censorship, how to communicate safely by email, Twitter or on Facebook, how to avoid cyber attacks on websites and what to do to combat impunity when journalists are threatened or killed.     

They also shared experiences of reporting on the Universal Periodic Review process that is carried out under the auspices of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. Every country that undergoes the review must report on its human rights situation. Journalists have an important job to do in holding their governments accountable and monitoring follow-up.

The tools are there. Journalists and defenders of human rights around the world can visit the websites of the Human Rights Council or the Universal Periodic Review (www.upr-info.org) and see what their country has pledged. Here, I am quite sure you will find many stories.

Over the last months, many of us have followed the profound political changes taking place in Tunisia and Egypt and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. We have been able to follow events in real time on TV channels such as the BBC, Al Jazeera and CNN.

In addition, social media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have played a crucial role in spreading news to the outside world and mobilising people to take part in the calls for change.

Sadly, however, we have also witnessed how authoritarian regimes can use social media against democratic voice, and increasingly monitor, infiltrate and threaten their population using these channels.

For example, they try to get hold of the names of bloggers and Twitter- and Facebook-users by forcing mobile phone and internet service providers to reveal this information.

As authoritarian regimes become better at mastering these technologies, NGOs are developing tools for safe communication on the Internet and effective protection against cyber attacks.

Last week, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) held a conference on the safety of journalists in the OSCE region in Vilnius. The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, focused on three areas:

• first, the role of governments in ensuring the safety of journalists
• second, contributions from civil society, including journalists and NGOs
• and third, best practices in legislation, law enforcement and judicial instruments to ensure the safety of journalists 

These are essential issues if you want to defend the right to freedom of the media and freedom of expression. Hopefully, the conference will be followed up by concrete action in all OSCE member countries – yours included – in terms of legislative requirements, including guarantees for media freedom and the creation of media laws that properly respect freedom of expression.

All states are responsible for the safety of their peoples, journalists included, but not all states take this responsibility as seriously as they should.
    
Last year, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Frank La Rue Lewy, drew attention to the lack of safety for journalists and media in his reports to the UN. He also pointed at the problem of impunity – the fact that perpetrators of journalist killings are usually not brought to court.

As a follow-up to this work, Norway held a seminar in New York on how to end impunity, in cooperation with the UN Special Rapporteur, the International Federation of Journalists, and the Russian and Norwegian journalist unions.

We intend to keep pushing this issue in the coming years.

Why is it so important to strengthen freedom of expression in general and independent, critical and courageous media in particular?

Firstly, by reporting on ordinary people’s struggles, dreams and visions for the future, the media can empower voiceless groups in society. People have to have a vision to be able to fight for changes in their society and a better life for their children.

Secondly, independent media are crucial in all efforts to fight corruption and keep politicians and authorities accountable. I believe that professional journalism and international solidarity among journalists are vital in this regard.

Thirdly, ensuring the safety of journalists and ending impunity for those who threaten or kill them promotes democracy and the rule of law. I would like to quote Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch: “The very best protection is making the perpetrators accountable for the past.”

Honoured laureates,

Please continue your important work. Do not lose courage when you are confronted with new obstacles. Keep exercising the right to freedom of expression.

I wish you very success in your future reporting.