Picture shows panelists who discussed the Media Principles at the heads of government summit last October – Shahidul Alam (Bangladesh), Apulu Lance Polu (Samoa), Kalafi Moala (Tonga), Kumi Naidoo (South Africa) and Ms. Neha Dixit (Pakistan).
The long campaign by the CJA for our Media Principles charter on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance passed a milestone when it was adopted by heads of government last October. But since then a high-level dialogue on implementation which the Secretariat agreed to host was called off, and there’s been frustration at the lack of progress, as the CJA’s LANCE POLU reports:
Five months since, the decorations have waned, the paint and banners faded and some roadside gardens well-kept since King Charles and Leaders of the 56 Commonwealth member states and their colourful delegations graced our small island nation for the historic event 17-26 October 2024.
Our Prime Minister, as Chair of CHOGM 2024, was back in London for the celebration of Commonwealth Day. But the pressing question has been any tangible follow up actions to implement the leaders’ decisions adopted given the recurring issues discussed over past meetings.
A milestone for free speech: Commonwealth adopts our Media Freedom Principles
As a panelist on the CHOGM Side Event on Freedom of Expression, I called for renewed political commitment from Commonwealth leaders to uphold the freedom of expression and the media as core democratic principles.
Our political leaders and officials choosing not to talk to the media on issues of public interest, “has spawned an inherent culture of silence and information control giving rise to misinformation, and stifles the public’s right to know and their right to choose.”
Lack of commitment
There is a lack of political commitment from Commonwealth leaders and governments to put the ideals and principles of democracy as in the Commonwealth’s Charter, into practice. And that has curtailed media access to information and free flow of information from the governments to the people through the media.
My country is one of the 41 Commonwealth countries that still maintain restrictive, colonial-era laws that curtail free expression, suppress diverse voices, and inhibit the transparency that is essential for democracy.
The national media entity, the Journalists Association of (Western) Samoa -JAWS, established in 1976, rallied to remove the archaic ‘libel defamation law’ which was repealed in 2014 but then reinstated in 2017 by the Human Rights Protection Party government and is now used in defamation cases pending in court.
In CHOGM 2024, the leaders adopted the Commonwealth Media Principles on Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media in Good Governance.
The adoption of the Media Principles is a welcome development given the ongoing threats to media freedom in the Pacific and elsewhere in the Commonwealth. It also provides the mechanism to achieve tangible results in the member-states – including the repeal of oppressive criminal laws, based on the new mandate given to member states and the Secretariat.
But given London and the Secretariat’s distance and visibility in many members states such as us in the Pacific, action and tangible change can take time.
In CHOGM 2024, I proposed a Pacific Commonwealth Media Initiative (PCMI) on data-gathering and co-operation between the regional Pacific Islands News Association, Commonwealth-related civil society like CJA and CHRI Initiative and the Secretariat under its newly-elected Secretary-General to mobilise reforms in member states.
The initiative is to collect data and monitor progress made in Commonwealth Pacific Island countries under the adopted Media Principles mandate focusing on the repeal of existing repressive and restrictive media laws and reporting to the Secretariat.
The PMCI model can be adopted in other regions of the Commonwealth and can work with available technical expertise for capacity-building and the development of enabling legislations to ensure the transparency of government activities through Freedom of Information Acts yet to be developed in most Commonwealth countries.
Colonial-era laws
This initiative aims to enhance collaboration among existing media networks and the Commonwealth Journalists Association, advocating for the adoption of principles supporting freedom of expression and the role of media in good governance. As part of its mission, the PCMI would focus on regular updates and reporting regarding media freedoms and threats across the Pacific and reporting to the Secretariat.
During CHOGM 2024, a major research report “Who Controls the Narrative? Legal restrictions on Freedom of Expression in Commonwealth Member States” was supposed to be launched.
However, the Report’s publication has been delayed and it is now planned to be published before the World Press Freedom Day on 3 May.
The report’s findings point to many Commonwealth countries which still maintain restrictive, colonial-era laws that curtail free expression, suppress diverse voices, and inhibit the transparency that is essential for democracy.
In the Commonwealth, 41 countries continue to criminalise defamation; 48 countries still retain laws related to sedition; and 37 still have blasphemy or blasphemy-like laws.
“These laws, often enforced through criminal sanctions, have a chilling effect on activists, journalists, and others who fear retaliation for speaking truth to power”, said William Horsley of the Commonwealth Journalists Association.
“This has led to an alarming rise in self-censorship and a decline in the independent and dissenting voices that are vital for holding governments accountable.”
