Calendar 2010

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27-28 September: Committee of Experts on New Media (MC-NM), Strasbourg

Memos

Journalism 2010 Retaining Professionalism, Regaining Credibility

Public service media: future or funeral?

“New Technologies: Your Life? Your Health? Your Privacy? Our Human Rights”

The recent achievements of the CDMC and of the Media & Information Society Division

Media and Information Society

The constant developments in the information society give Council of Europe the challenge of defending and maintaining its fundamental principles in new environments. While pursuing its important efforts in "traditional" media and their role in the democratic process, the Steering Committee on Media and New Communication Services (CDMC) is also working on freedom of expression in the complex context of the new communications services.

News

Internet Governance Forum: Protecting women's rights on Internet

During the Internet Governance Forum (Vilnius, 14-17 Septembre) Jan Malinowski, Head of the Media and Information Society Division, moderated a workshop on "Protecting women's Rights: Internet content from a gender perspective". The conclusions (which can be found at http://www.intgovforum.org/cms/component/chronocontact/?chronoformname=WSProposalsReports2010View&wspid=96) include the following:

"Women have a right to be "Free from Fear" on the Internet. The following "F-words” emerged clearly in this respect: The Internet has to be Free Fun saFe Feminine women-Friendly and, to this end, Internet governance […] has to involve more Females and has to be more Forward-looking"

This would help reduce the level of physical and sexual harm which women experience in the offline world  – an important step towards protecting their rights.

NB. According to the WGIG definition, Internet Governance is the development and application by governments, the private sector and civil society, in their respective roles, of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that shape the evolution and use of the Internet

In 2007, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers acknowledged the public service value of the Internet understood as people’s significant reliance on the Internet as an essential tool for their everyday activities (communication, information, knowledge, commercial transactions) and the resulting legitimate expectation that Internet services be accessible and affordable, secure, reliable and ongoing. The Committee of Ministers made no gender distinction.

06/09/2010] ЖИТЬ ВМЕСТЕ - "Living Together" - now in Russian

A valuable contribution to social cohesion, the handbook on Council of Europe standards on media’s contribution to social cohesion, intercultural dialogue, understanding, tolerance and democratic participation, Living Together, is now available in Russian, together with English and French. Other languages versions will come soon (Albanian, Turkish, Ukrainian, Bulgarian). A pdf version can be down loaded at the following address: ..\livingtogether_ru_3.pdf A printed version can be obtained at the Council of Europe.