Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

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Preface By Esmaré Weideman Esmaré Weideman is CEO of Media24, and was previously editor-in-chief of Media24’s flagship weekly news magazines, Huisgenoot, You and Drum. Media24 not only deems it an honour and an opportunity to sponsor this important publication. We see it as our duty. We are part of <strong>the</strong> Naspers group, Africa’s largest media company, recently rated <strong>the</strong> 10th largest global media enterprise. Though successfully doing business in more than 50 countries all over <strong>the</strong> world, we are deeply rooted in Africa. In 2015, four <strong>years</strong> from now when <strong>the</strong> centenary of <strong>the</strong> oldest newspaper in our group will be celebrated, Naspers/Media24 will have been in Africa for 100 <strong>years</strong>. We intend being here for much longer. Progress in Africa and <strong>the</strong> role of <strong>the</strong> free media <strong>the</strong>rein is in our DNA. Media24 is indeed proud to be associated with <strong>the</strong> 20th celebration of <strong>the</strong> milestone event that is <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>. The <strong>Declaration</strong> was originally issued as a continental clarion call for media freedom in Africa, but has since grown into a lodestar for media freedom all over <strong>the</strong> world. We believe <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> and what it strived to achieve, played a major role in <strong>the</strong> progress that has been achieved in Africa in <strong>the</strong> last 20 <strong>years</strong>. More African countries today can be described as constitutional democracies than two decades ago when <strong>the</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> was adopted. The old adage that democracies don’t go to war against each o<strong>the</strong>r, has a media freedom element that pertains particularly to our continent: African countries where <strong>the</strong> media is free, prosper and develop. Take <strong>the</strong> case of Mali, which is rated by international agencies as being <strong>the</strong> African country with <strong>the</strong> highest degree of media freedom. Mali became a democracy with a free press one year <strong>after</strong> <strong>the</strong> adoption of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>. Today, it is considered a well-established African democracy — in no small measure because it has studiously respected and maintained media freedom. Substantial progress in <strong>the</strong> field of media freedom has been achieved in Africa in <strong>the</strong> past 20 <strong>years</strong>. Yet much remains to be done. Less than five African countries today appear in <strong>the</strong> “totally free” category of global press freedom indexes. More and more African countries are descending into <strong>the</strong> “partly free” category, interestingly enough, among <strong>the</strong>m, South Africa and Namibia. Unfortunately, <strong>the</strong> “unfree” category is ra<strong>the</strong>r densely populated by African countries. So, we have our work cut out for us. The energies of civil society, business, media companies, trade unions, <strong>the</strong> churches — and Africans from all walks of life — need to be harnessed into a continental effort to enhance and protect <strong>the</strong> institution of <strong>the</strong> free media in Africa. Our progress as a continent demands this from us. Media in Africa - 2011 | 5
Foreword By Janis Karklins Janis Karklins is Assistant Director- General of Communication and Information of UNESCO. He was previously <strong>the</strong> Latvian Ambassador to France, Andorra, Monaco and UNESCO. He was as well <strong>the</strong> Permanent Representative of Latvia to <strong>the</strong> United Nations in Geneva. He has held several elected posts in <strong>the</strong> World Intellectual Property Organisation and also in <strong>the</strong> leadership of <strong>the</strong> World Summit on <strong>the</strong> Information Society. 6 | Media in Africa - 2011 UNESCO warmly welcomes this publication as we commemorate <strong>the</strong> 20th anniversary of <strong>the</strong> adoption of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> on Press Freedom, Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, a landmark document that set <strong>the</strong> stage for <strong>the</strong> developments taking place in <strong>the</strong> African media sector since <strong>the</strong>n. UNESCO <strong>the</strong>refore congratulates <strong>the</strong> Media Institute of Sou<strong>the</strong>rn Africa (MISA) for bringing toge<strong>the</strong>r such an impressive group of experts to present us with an overview of <strong>the</strong> past two decades and share <strong>the</strong>ir assessments on <strong>the</strong> status of press freedom in Africa. The <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> was agreed upon by African journalists at a seminar sponsored by UNESCO, <strong>the</strong> UNDPI and UNDP, held from 29 April to 3 May 1991. It was later endorsed by UNESCO’s General Conference. The main assertion of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> is that a free, independent, plural and diverse press is a fundamental human right essential to democracy and development. The <strong>Declaration</strong>’s content finds its basis in article 9 of <strong>the</strong> African Charter on Human and Peoples’ rights (Banjul Charter), which provides for <strong>the</strong> right to freedom of expression and opinion as well as <strong>the</strong> right to receive information. This provision is also in accordance with article 19 of <strong>the</strong> Universal <strong>Declaration</strong> on Human Rights, which enshrines media and press freedom; as well as with article 19 of <strong>the</strong> International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which contemplates <strong>the</strong> right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas within <strong>the</strong> restrictions provided by law for <strong>the</strong> protection of legitimate interests which are truly necessary. The importance of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>’s legacy cannot be sufficiently stressed. For <strong>the</strong> first time, journalists were strongly assured that <strong>the</strong>ir plight was being heard within <strong>the</strong> UN system; <strong>the</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> marking an unprecedented international commitment to address <strong>the</strong>ir needs as directly expressed by <strong>the</strong>m. It was indeed in its spirit that several regional instruments were adopted following <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong>, aimed at streng<strong>the</strong>ning <strong>the</strong> principles foreseen in that document and recognising <strong>the</strong> role of <strong>the</strong> media as a vehicle for streng<strong>the</strong>ning dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation. On <strong>the</strong> basis of <strong>the</strong>se regional instruments and <strong>the</strong>ir recommendations, several African countries have adopted principles pertaining to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Windhoek</strong> <strong>Declaration</strong> and <strong>the</strong> regional instruments into <strong>the</strong>ir national constitutions and through o<strong>the</strong>r more specific legal provisions and regulations. In practice, however, freedom of <strong>the</strong> press is not yet fully secured in Africa. Thus a critical examination of its current status, <strong>the</strong> progress and setbacks that have taken place
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Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

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