Abidjan - Cote d' Ivoire — A forum of stakeholders working to improve media practice and contributions to regional peace and security in West Africa has launched new initiatives that would enable the press become a tool for stability. The initiatives elaborated during a two-day meeting on "Media, Peace and Security in West Africa," which ended on Friday, 15th June 2012 in Abidjan, would address shortcomings in the regional media practice, especially on the adherence to ethical requirements. They would also assist in the building of media capacity to improve their professional practice and contributions towards instituting a culture of peace and leverage the support of international organisations. "A free, independent and professional media is the bedrock of democracy and the guarantor of the rule of law and human rights, both of which are inseparable from the protection and promotion of a culture of peace," the forum noted in its declaration.
To this end, "it is imperative to work towards strengthening them both at the national, regional and international levels," declared the participants, made up of media professionals, related professional organisations and experts in peace and security. The forum's recommendations came against the backdrop of the resurgence of political crises in the region, with sections of press blamed for exacerbating the post- election crisis of 2010 in Cote d'Ivoire. The participants underscored the critical role of the media, working with other actors, in tackling the root causes of conflicts, political and social instability and impunity which manifest in the violation of human rights. Speaking at the opening of the forum on 14th June 2012, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cote d'Ivoire, His Excellency Daniel Kablan Duncan said that peace and stability along with national reconstruction and reconciliation were the three priorities of the government.
He said the timing of the forum coincided with the period of security challenges in the region such as the resurgence of coups d'état, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, terrorism, illicit circulation of arms and drugs, and other transnational crimes. The Minister said the Ivorian government recognized the press as agents for the protection of socio-cultural values, consolidation of social cohesion, prevention of conflicts, promotion of peace, security and sustainable development. In his address to the forum, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Ambassador Kadre Desire Ouédraogo said the region and the international community had witnessed "harmful role of the press" in various crises particularly in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He said the region has developed regional instruments on conflict prevention "aimed at creating an enabling media landscape for freedom, transparency and accountability." In the address read by Vice-President, Dr. Toga McIntosh, the president said the goal is to ensure that the media truly becomes the "guardians of human security, the promoters of human rights, social cohesion and integration, democracy and development," and a stakeholder in the promotion of peace and stability in West Africa. Similar sentiments were expressed by Mr. Hugo Sada, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) Delegate for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights, Mr. Said Djinnit, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for West Africa, Mr. Ambrose Nyionsaba, Special Representative of the African Union and Mr. Albert Koenders, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Cote d'Ivoire.
Various presentations were made during the forum, including one on the ECOWAS Communication Policy, and its norms and standard for media practice, which deals specifically with the role of the regional media in the promotion of a culture of peace. One of the outcomes of Abidjan forum, which was supported by the Government of Cote d'Ivoire and the OIF, was an agreement on the necessity for a network of journalists dedicated to the promotion of a culture of peace to be in the vanguard of the campaign. Similar fora were held in Cape Verde in May 2011 and Bamako December 2011 and organized by UN Office in West Africa (UNOWA), ECOWAS and partners. The first forum was dedicated to Elections, Peace and Security in West Africa while the second was on Impunity, Justice and Human Rights.
