The first meeting of National Focal Points for the Council of Europe’s Campaign for the Safety of Journalists Journalists Matter took place at the National Library of Latvia, marking the official launch of the Campaign. The gathering provided a first opportunity for dialogue among representatives from member States and the Council of Europe Secretariat on how to advance journalists’ safety through coordinated national and European action.
Participants discussed the Campaign’s aims, roadmap, and priorities, highlighting the need for concrete measures to strengthen protection mechanisms and promote respect for media freedom. National Focal Points shared initial information about domestic frameworks and challenges, and exchanged examples of good practices such as safety coordination mechanisms, legal support systems, and training programmes for journalists facing threats or harassment.
The Council of Europe presented a series of new tools to guide member States, including the Implementation Guide to Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and the Pocket Guide for key actions for improved safety of journalists, designed to help build and strengthen national action plans.
The meeting also explored ways to enhance cooperation, visibility, and peer learning, including the possible creation of an online workspace for Focal Points. Participants agreed to make the list of National Focal Points publicly available on the Campaign website and to report regularly on national progress.
The next meeting of National Focal Points is planned to coincide with the Steering Committee for Media and Information Society (CDMSI) plenary session in June 2024, ensuring close coordination between the Campaign and the Council of Europe’s wider work on media freedom. Future thematic meetings will focus on the four pillars of the Council of Europe’s Recommendation — Protection, Prevention, Prosecution, and Promotion.
The launch meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of member States to strengthen journalists’ safety, promote accountability, and raise public awareness of the essential role of free and independent journalism in democratic societies.
More info and useful materials from the meeting here
