UNESCO CONFERENCE ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND MEDIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000168

SIPDIS

FROM USMISSION UNESCO PARIS

SENSITIVE

BAGHDAD PASS TO PAO PRESS OFFICER DEL CASTILLO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: UNESCO SCUL KDEM IZ
SUBJECT: UNESCO CONFERENCE ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND MEDIA
DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ


1. (SBU) UNESCO hosted a three-day international conference on the
"Freedom of Expression and Media Development in Iraq" January 8-10
in Paris, bringing together over 300 participants, including 200
Iraqi journalists, some 20 members of the Iraqi parliament,
government officials, and media owners to discuss the key concerns
facing the country's media in the context of civil conflict in
post-Saddam Iraq.


2. (SBU) At the close of the conference, a declaration was issued
raising several points, including: the need to improve the safety
of journalists and media professionals working in Iraq; the
establishment of a national fund to provide financial support to the
families of journalists killed in the line of duty; ensuring that
crimes against journalists are investigated and do not go
unpunished; the importance of Iraq's Communications and Media
Commission functioning as an independent body; the need for
journalists to form associations and regulate the profession
themselves with professional standards and, finally, the importance
of women and minorities in the media and their role in the
reconstruction of Iraq.


3. (SBU) Despite getting off to a bad start, reportedly due to
Turkey's refusal to permit the charter flight to over fly Turkish
territory, and France's refusal to allow the plane to land in the
middle of the night, the participants delved into several issues,
including how to improve the safety of journalists and organizing
funds to care for the families of assassinated media professionals.


4. (SBU) UNESCO's Director General Matsuura welcomed the group and
praised them for their courage and professionalism. The other
co-hosts for the event, Paolo Lembo, Director of the UNDP Office in
Iraq, Mr. Siyamend Othman, CEO of the Iraqi Communications and Media
Commission (CMC),and Japan's Ambassador to UNESCO, Seiichi Kondo,
also welcomed participants. The conference was paid for primarily
by the CMC (which finances its operations from the media license
fees it collects in Iraq),and a US$30,000 gift from Japan.


5. (SBU) The US Mission was present to observe, as was Embassy
Baghdad, which sent its Portfolio Press Officer, Daniel del
Castillo. State Department officer, Michael Michener (DRL),was
scheduled to speak, but did not attend. Just three or four UNESCO
delegations sat in on the conference.


6. (SBU) The UNESCO conference provided the first opportunity for
such a large group of Iraqi media professionals to meet together
since the start of the war.


7. (SBU) As an observer to the conference, it was clear that many of
the people in the room knew each other well, knew who the players
were, what companies or organizations they represented, and what
camp they represented. The divisions, while not clearly
identifiable to an outsider, were, nonetheless, very apparent. The
result was that every discussion, during the conference, seemed to
have a second layer of meaning that was, unfortunately and
literally, lost in translation, as the often-vocal reaction off of
the podium to speakers was entirely in Arabic and not interpreted.


8. (SBU) Kurdish participants, both members of the Kurdish
parliament and media professionals, made a point of always
differentiating themselves from other participants in the group when
speaking. Another Kurdish speaker suggested that conferences and
training be held in Kurdistan, due to the relatively safe
environment there. The speaker noted that since the demise of the
Hussein regime, there are over 213 newspapers and 161 magazines now
being printed in Kurdistan alone.


9. (SBU) Other attendees raised the fact that members of the Iraqi
parliament were present, and should, according to many, not have a
voice in formulating any declarations that should be coming only
from media professionals.


10. (SBU) There were several rather heated discussions, at least by
UNESCO standards, including an exchange when one participant
suggested that the killing of journalists could be justified in
part, as many worked for the Muhabarat secret services. The comment
raised indignation throughout the room, and others stressed the need
for journalists to be clearly identified as neutral observers.
Others agreed that the problem of infiltration by secret services
into the ranks of the media exists, but is not limited to Iraq, and
in no case justified assassination. Another participant said that
while we believe we are working for the greater national good, there
are others who are seeking to undermine our efforts. There was also
a call for common terminology for use in the media be developed, so
terrorists are clearly defined from freedom fighters, for example.


11. (SBU) Others noted that Iraq's media is divided by lines based
on affiliation with political parties, religious groups, civil
organizations, and others claiming to be independent media.
Interestingly, of the large group present, only six or seven hands
when up when participants were asked if they represented
"independent" media.


12. (SBU) There were many calls for transparency regarding
ownership, and strict limits on monopolistic ownership of the media.
As a part of this desire to be more independent, it was suggested
that the CMC set up a "teleport" facility in Iraq enabling media
companies to broadcast without having to use foreign satellite relay
stations.


13. (SBU) Another interesting comment by one of the participants was
in connection to the most recent training program of media
professionals held in Amman, Jordan. According to the speaker,
three different UN and UN agency-sponsored training programs, all
concerning media in Iraq, were held in the same hotel with none of
the meeting organizers aware of the fact that other UN groups were
present. Others complained that the trainees knew more about the
subjects that the trainers.


14. (SBU) Someone else raised the subject of donor countries, saying
that donor countries are often more interested in playing out their
political agendas than really interested in good results. The
speaker then asked the room whether anyone had refused monies for
training outside of Iraq. He added that financial assistance for
training should not be conditional.


15. (SBU) There were also several complaints about the squandering
of funds. While no one spoke up about the cost of bringing together
participants for this particular meeting in Paris, there were
negative comments made about sending 10 media professionals outside
of Iraq for training at a cost of US$250,000. Several participants
noted that Iraq's media professionals, technicians, and universities
are fully competent to train media professionals in country, despite
the fact that there seems to be a trend that implies that all "real"
training must take place outside of Iraq.


16. (SBU) Another participant said that there is too heavy a focus
on Baghdad, and that we must come to the understanding that Iraq
exists and needs journalists outside of Baghdad.


17. (SBU) Finally, there were sessions held on economic independence
and commercial sustainability, with speakers emphasizing the need
for Iraq's media to become self-financing to lessen political
pressures.
OLIVER