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Govts Should Grant Right to Information

DUBAI - Right to information of the public will be one of the main recommendations made by civil societies at this year’s Forum for the Future hosted by the UAE.

“Nearly 88 countries across the world have given their citizens the access to information. In the Arab world, only Jordon has acknowledged this right so far.

“It’s necessary for this forum to push Arab governments to guarantee this right,” noted Said Essoulami, Executive Director of the Centre for Media Freedom, Morocco.

He added that it was imperative to equip the public with the right to access to information held by the public authorities and the private sector.

“More journalists are increasingly being attacked and imprisoned. Many have been arrested in Egypt and Morocco.

“We want prison sentences to be abolished as no journalist, who expresses his opinion, should be imprisoned. The government should take this suggestion into consideration,” he stressed.

Essoulami also called for the liberalisation of media systems, saying newly established newspapers should be free of legal and financial constraints.

“Often, many countries hold a monopoly over the media, thereby prohibiting other media establishments to set base,” he said, adding that media organisations are also asked to cough up huge sums of money to set up offices, which he emphasised, should not be the case.

He also stressed the need for the Arab world to allow and encourage community radios.

“There are over 4,000 community journalists in the world as they provide a platform for debate and encourage discussions of social issues. There are so many community radios in Africa and a few in Palestine and Iraq. We need community radios and community journalists to be recognised,” said Essoulami.

Legislative reforms and changes in media and press laws are also necessary to ensure media freedom, which Arab governments should recognise, he observed.

preeti@khaleejtimes.com