[A2k] Asia-Pacific and European broadcasters hold first dialogue in Paris

[Teresa Hackett (eIFL)]

Paris and Geneva: parallel universes ;-)

http://tinyurl.co.uk/v7nu

<SNIP>

Hosted by UNESCO

Speakers from Asia and Europe alike stressed the key role of public
service broadcasting in sustaining cultural diversity and pluralism in
the digital age, and called for copyright legislation that will unlock
cultural treasures from broadcasters=92 archives.

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Asia-Pacific and European broadcasters hold first dialogue in Paris
25-09-2006 (Paris)

Asia-Pacific and European broadcasters hold first dialogue in Paris
The electronic and broadcast media play an ever growing role in the
international news exchange. To put focus on this role and to facilitate
a deepened dialogue between broadcasters from Asia-Pacific and Europe,
UNESCO hosted last week in Paris the first Asia-Pacific and Europe Media
Dialogue.

More than 300 media professionals met in Paris with the aim to promote
cultural diversity, tolerance and peace by airing differences, sharing
best practices and reinforcing common values.

Opened at UNESCO headquarters on the 5th anniversary of the 11 September
attacks, the meeting took as its premise that media can play a vital
role in securing social understanding and cohesion at a time of
technological revolution and global tension.

Organizers were the Asia Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development
(AIBD), Kuala Lumpur, and the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union
(EBU), in partnership with UNESCO. Supporters included RAI, the Italian
public broadcaster, the international German broadcaster Deutsche Welle,
Radio Netherlands Worldwide, and a number of French broadcasters and
government agencies. The EBU is the professional association of Europe's
public service broadcasters, and the operator of Eurovision and Euroradio.

Three days of panel discussions addressed such topics as media and
cultural diversity, media control and freedom of expression, new media
for an equitable knowledge society, the resurgence of radio, dialogue
between civilizations, and the safety of journalists.

Speakers from Asia and Europe alike stressed the key role of public
service broadcasting in sustaining cultural diversity and pluralism in
the digital age, and called for copyright legislation that will unlock
cultural treasures from broadcasters=92 archives.

Several participants called on broadcasters to harness new technologies
to create a more transparent and accountable system of governance. They
expressed confidence that better dissemination of information could
promote attainment of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals
aimed at reducing world poverty by half by 2020.

AIBD Director Javad Mottaghi, alluding to current world conflicts,
appealed for the "power of logic" to supplant the "logic of power". He
urged broadcasters, governments and international agencies to support
programmes aimed at raising journalistic standards.

EBU Secretary General and conference chairman Jean R=E9veillon called on
the United Nations Security Council to pass a resolution reminding UN
Member States of their duty to ensure the safety of journalists and to
prosecute all those responsible for murdering them in the pursuit of
their profession.

Prominent speakers at the Dialogue included Chinese vice minister Tian
Jin; Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations, and
EBU Vice-Presidents John Bernander, director general of NRK Norway, and
Boris Bergant of RTVSLO, Slovenia.

The second Asia-Pacific and Europe Media Dialogue will be held in Bonn
next year at the invitation of Deutsche Welle.