New OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media to Speak at IPI World Congress
Dunja Mijatovic Will Give Keynote Speech at ‘60 Press Freedom Heroes Award’ Ceremony
The International Press Institute (IPI) today announced the inclusion of recently appointed OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, in its line-up of World Congress speakers.
Mijatovic will give the keynote speech at a Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony, to be held at Vienna’s City Hall on Monday, 13 September 2010, during the IPI World Congress in Vienna and Bratislava. At this special event, IPI will honour 60 World Press Freedom Heroes to mark its 60 years of defending press freedom worldwide.
“I am honoured to participate in an event that pays tribute to those brave individuals who have given their all, sometimes even their lives, to make our societies freer,” Mijatovic said. “Their struggle for a better world should always remind us of the importance of free speech and free expression. Like democracy, freedom of the media and freedom of speech are not a given. Our common duty is to constantly justify, reaffirm and strengthen these freedoms.”
Dunja Mijatovic was appointed OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media on 11 March 2010, succeeding Miklos Haraszti, the Hungarian writer, journalist and former dissident, who served two three-year periods as the OSCE media watchdog.
Based in Vienna and supported by an international staff of 15 people, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 56 OSCE participating States, providing early warning on violations of freedom of expression and promoting full compliance with OSCE press freedom principles and commitments.
An expert in media law and self-regulation, Mijatovic was one of the founders of the Communications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she played an important role in helping to create a legal, regulatory and policy framework for the media in a complex post-war society. She was also involved in setting up a self-regulatory press council in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the first “Free Media Help Line” in South East Europe. Previously, she chaired the Council of Europe’s Group of Specialists on freedom of expression and information in times of crisis.
To read the biographies of all the speakers, as well as more about the programme topics and the IPI World Congress in general, visit the Congress website: www.ipiworldcongress.com.
This year’s IPI World Congress commemorates the 60th anniversary of the founding of IPI, and will be held in Vienna, Austria, and Bratislava, Slovakia, from 11-14 September 2010. Under the overall theme, “Thinking the Unthinkable: Are We Losing the News? (Media Freedom in the New Media Landscape),” the Congress will focus attention on the state of the news media, providing new business models and solutions for the media, as well as examples of how freedom of the press can survive in the new media environment.
All the latest news about the Congress can be found on the IPI Congress Website (www.ipiworldcongress.com), or by following the Congress team on Twitter at IPI_WoCo2010 or on Facebook.
IPI’s partners for the Congress include: Google; Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd; OMV; Bank Austria - Member of UniCredit Group; Telekom Austria Group; City of Vienna; Federation of Austrian Industries (IV); SITA - Slovak News Agency; Slovak Tourist Board (SACR); Slovak Electricity Transmission System, Plc. (SEPS); Slovak Telekom; Bratislava Culture and Information Centre (BKIS); Kooperativa poisťovňa a.s. Vienna Insurance Group; Slovak Health Spa Piestany; Minerálna voda Mitická; Prva stavebna sporitelna (PSS); Austrian Airlines; and Twin City Liner.
Media partners include: APA - Austria Press Agency, ORF - Austrian Broadcasting Corporation; Der Standard; and Webnoviny.sk.