Excellencies,
Dear Eva-Maria,
It is with great pleasure that I participate in today’s Ministerial meeting, hosted by Estonia and the Estonian Human Rights Institute.
I warmly thank our hosts for their commitment and leadership in organizing this event.
It is a widely acknowledged truth that free and independent media, especially in the digital age, are an essential ingredient for building inclusive democratic societies.
Unfortunately, today, more than ever, we witness media freedom being in decline or under attack, due to restrictive practices and the misuse of digital technologies.
Violence against journalists and media actors, especially women who are disproportionately targeted, results in a climate of fear with detrimental effects.
Against this backdrop, we, the members of the Media Freedom Coalition, have pledged to work together bilaterally, regionally, as well as multilaterally.
Our commitment is towards creating a safe and enabling media environment, which guarantees the free enjoyment of human rights by everyone.
Greece, a staunch supporter of freedom of speech, regularly addresses media freedom at the multilateral human rights fora:
In this context, Resolution 76/173 on the “Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity”, submitted by Greece together with Argentina, Austria, France, Costa Rica and Tunisia at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, was cosponsored by 112 out of 193 UN member states.
At the same time, Greece regularly participates, as a member of the core group, in the Austrian-led Resolution on the “Safety of Journalists”, submitted every two years at the Human Rights Council.
Moreover, my country gladly participates in multi-stakeholder initiatives and synergies, such as the Media Freedom Coalition, which can be drivers of substantial and meaningful change.
Excellencies,
The media is a mirror of our societies.
Therefore, working to ensure an independent media environment equates with building democratic and pluralistic societies.
So, let’s keep up the good work!
Thank you!