Thijs spreekt over persvrijheid in de plenaire - Main contents
Op woensdag 12 juni nam Thijs deel aan het plenaire debat over mensenrechten en persvrijheid. Hij benadrukte dat in 2012 de meeste journalisten ooit zijn vermoord. Daarnaast sprak hij over Turkmenistan, dit land staat op de derde plek onderaan de persvrijheidlijst van "Reporters without borders" maar wordt daar niet of zelden op aangesproken voor de EU en de VS omdat het land strategisch van groot belang is voor de toegang tot Afghanistan. Ook riep Thijs de EU op om haar politieke invloed te gebruiken en zich actiever in te zetten voor journalisten die in de gevangenis zitten.
De speech van Thijs:
Chair,
"Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and the touchstone of the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated." This is how the UN formulated the importance of freedom of expression in 1946, in its very first session.
More than 60 years later, there are still countries where being a journalist is the most dangerous of all professions. Indeed, for journalists, 2012 was the deadliest year ever registered, with Somalia, Syria, Mexico and Pakistan as the most risky countries.
Freedom of information simply does not exist in countries like Eritrea, North Korea and Turkmenistan.
And for some countries, where our strategic interests come into play, the EU and the USA only show a guilty silence on the lack of respect for human rights. Turkmenistan is such a country, as it is important for us for our access to Afghanistan.
Chair, this is appalling. Turkmen citizens are waiting for Europe to take up its responsibility. And condemn clearly the violation of freedoms we are happy to enjoy here. The added value of the EU as an actor in the world is its potential political influence - stronger than the member states could ever show individually. Then show this added value, and help emprisoned journalists, and hold governments to account.
Apart from defending the freedom of information, the EU could do better in assisting media in developing countries. Journalists are essential in the struggle against corruption, for better governance, for better taking into account the needs of the people and in particular the most vulnerable.
The excellent report by Marietje Schaake shows the way. In our negotiations on the future development policy of the EU, freedom of expression will form an essential element of the human rights based approach the EU should have at heart in its external relations.
Afbeelding: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/127688