The African Union (AU) has reaffirmed its commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression and called on member states to create conducive environments for journalists.
Speaking at the 2nd African Media Convention in Lusaka, Zambia, the head of Communication at the AU Commission Mrs Wynne Musabayana said the African Charter on Human and People's Rights provided a framework for the enjoyment of fundamental rights, including the freedom of expression, access to information and safety of journalists.
She emphasized the need for African member states and all other actors to respect and enforce the African Charter, alongside the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights as well as other international documents and national constitutions.
"Through its communication policies, strategies and practices, the African Union supports journalists' rights to seek, receive and impart information. It recognizes that media plays a key role in ensuring full respect for freedom of expression, in promoting the free flow of information and ideas and assisting people to make informed decisions and in facilitating and strengthening of democracy," she said.
She called on the media in Africa to join the AU in promoting African voices and stories that recognized the important role the body had played in the liberation of the continent as it prepared to celebrate its 60th anniversary since its founding on May 25, 1963.
The Director, UNESCO Region for Southern Africa and Representative for Zimbabwe, Professor Lidia Arthur Brito said despite all the international instruments guaranteeing media freedom, daunting challenges remained and more continued to emerge.
"Media is an essential part of freedom of expression. Unfortunately, media freedom, the safety of journalists and freedom of expression are increasingly under attack, which impacts the realization of other human rights," she said.
She noted that the international community also faced multipole crises including conflicts and violence, persistent socio-economic inequalities, environmental crises and challenges to the health and wellbeing of people all around the world.
Prof. Brito added that disinformation and misinformation online and offline, polarized political and societal discourse, erosion of trust, imposition of states of emergency and internet shutdowns, crackdown on critical voices and on independent media and the collapse of traditional media business models constituted threats to freedom of expression and the fundamental role of human rights.
Zambia's Minister for Information and Media, Hon Chushi Kasanda said her government had made strides in promoting the freedom of the media and freedom of expression and had made progress in the enactment of access to information.
"Africa deserves better services from the media. Indeed, the people of Africa deserve accurate and factual information to empower them to participate in the affairs of their countries and the continent at large," she said.
The Minister acknowledged that the media deserved freedom and editorial independence and journalists needed a safe environment to work adding that these were fundamental in shaping the future of rights as well as freedom of expression as a driver of all other human rights.
The Chairman of the East Africa Editors Society Mr Churchill Otieno recalled the recommendations of the first African Media Convention in Arusha, Tanzania in May 2022 and urged the media, governments, international agencies, the AU, civil society groups and the private sector, including technology companies to play their part, based on recommendations, to help in enhancing press freedom and media sustainability.
He said it was regrettable that since the Arusha meeting and despite all efforts made to secure the freedom of the press, there were continued attacks, arrests, detention and killing of journalists. He cited cases in Burundi, Kenya, Eritrea, Somalia, Cameroon and Mali, among other countries.
The Chairperson Southern Africa Editors Forum Mr Willie Mponda led the participants in observing a minute of silence in honour of journalists in Africa who had died in the line of duty, from attacks by enemies of press freedom and from COVID-19. He lauded Zambia and a few other African countries that had improved the press freedom environment but said more efforts were needed to improve the overall press freedom environment in Africa.
