International Federation of Journalists arrived in Minsk with monitoring mission

• 21.09.2009, 16:09

A mission of international organizations specializing on rights protection for journalists, freedom of expression and mass media development works in Minsk on September 21–23.

BelaPAN learnt this from head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists Zhanna Litvina.

The mission was formed under the aegis of the International Federation of Journalists. It unites eight experts representing the International Federation of Journalists, the Danish Union of Journalists, the International Media Support (IMS), UNESCO, and the Open Society Institution.

The objective of the visit of the international experts is studying the situation with freedom of press in Belarus and evaluation of the recent changes in this sector.

Meetings with the heads and officers of a number of state-run and independent media, representatives of the Ministry of Information, the OSCE Office in Minsk, and two journalistic organizations the BAJ and the Belarusian Union o Journalists are scheduled. Deputy head of the President’s Administration Natallya Pyatkevich is to accept the mission on September 22.

A statement and a report on the situation with the mass media in Belarus will be prepared based on the results of the visit.