The Executive Director of PEN International, Carles Torner, today signed the agreement to join the Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists with the Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.
The platform allows trusted media freedom organisations to alert the Council of Europe when journalists or media organisations are in danger or media freedom is under threat, opening the way for the swift dissemination of this information within the Council of Europe as well as for reactions from the organisation.
Key elements of the platform are documenting and reporting on instances of violence and threats against journalists, and dialogue with member states on ways to respond to these threats.
“I am pleased to welcome PEN International to our platform. With its reputation and expertise, PEN will contribute substantially to our work to promote media freedom. Journalists are under threat in many parts of the world, and unfortunately also in Europe. Freedom of expression is a fundamental right under the European Convention on Human Rights and it is our duty to do all we can to protect it“ said Thorbjørn Jagland at the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding.
PEN International is the 12th organisation to join the Platform. The other partners are Article 19, the Association of European Journalists, Committee to Protect Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists, Index on Censorship, the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, International Press Institute, International News Safety Institute, the Rory Peck Trust and the European Broadcasting Union.