By Iddi
Yire/William Fiabu, GNA
Accra, June 20, GNA – The African
Communication Regulation Authorities Network (ACRAN) will consolidate its
cooperation and working relations with the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, the President of
ACRAN, said the cooperation would create more awareness of the important role
of the independent media regulator in enhancing the citizens’ access and
enjoyment of the freedom of expression and free, responsible and independent
media.
Nana Gyan Apenteng, who is also the Chairman
of the National Media Commission (NMC), made the disclosure on Wednesday at the
opening of the ACRA Steering Committee Meeting in Accra.
The ACRAN was established at the latter part
of the 20th century during the surge of democratisation across Africa.
With democratisation came the setting up of
firm and equitable rules to guide the liberalisation of the media which should
give opportunities to all citizens to become agents for democracy, economic
development and social justice in Africa.
The Accra meeting, which is being hosted by
the NMC, is to prepare the grounds for ACRAN’s next biennial conference slated
for December, in Yaoundé, Cameroun.
It will also consider the issue of ACRAN’s
20th anniversary celebration.
Delegates attending the Accra meeting are from
Ghana, Cameroun, the Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Morocco, Niger, Benin,
Togo and Tanzania.
Nana Gyan Apenteng said the Steering Committee
Meeting was further inspired by the ideals of the UNESCO World Press Freedom
Day International Conference, held in Accra, 2-3 May.
He said the Accra Declaration, which was
issued at the end of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Conference, reinforced
ACRAN standpoints several respects.
He cited that the Conference called on states
to “Create or reinforce an enabling legal and policy framework to ensue respect
for freedom of expression and to foster a diverse, independent media sector,
and to ensure that relevant officials are properly trained so as to ensure
respect for that framework in practice”.
Another clause of the Declaration calls on the
state parties to “Adopt strong and appropriate anti-discriminate rules,
including in relation to gender, with a view, among other things, to ensuring
that everyone in society can enjoy equally the right to freedom of expression.”
Nana Gyan Apenteng said these were strong
endorsements of ACRAN positions and perspectives which they had canvassed over
the years.
He commended Dr Amina Lemrini Elouahabi,
President of the High Authority for Audio-visual Communication (HACA) of
Morocco, for the leading role in the recent side event at the United Nations
Conference on Women in March.
Dr Mustapha Abdul Hamid, Minister of
Information, who opened the meeting hailed the sacrifices of African
journalists in deepening democracy and promoting good governance on the
continent.
He said the media in Africa was facing a
serious challenge, especially in countries with autocratic system of
governments; adding that journalists who operated under such regimes deserved
commendation.
Mr Peter Essoka, Vice President of ACRAN and
President of the National Communication Council of Cameroun, said adequate
preparations were under way towards the hosting of the next biennial ACRAN
conference in December in Yaoundé.
Mr Adam Boni Tessi, the General Secretary of
ACRAN, gave an overview of the activities of the organisation.
GNA