Statement on the Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom in Ukraine
As delivered by
Ihor Lossovskyi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the
International Organizations
in Vienna, to the 1156th meeting
of the Permanent
Council, 31 August 2017
Mr. Chairperson,
Ukraine is firmly
committed to safeguard and promote
the freedom of expression and
media freedom in the country
in accordance with the relevant
OSCE commitments and international standards. On many occasions
we updated the OSCE participating States about specific
and important steps undertaken in the area
of strengthening the environment for free media.
The Ukrainian authorities closely co-operate with the
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the
Media which provides valuable expertise and assistance
in enhancing the implementation of relevant commitments.
Today we continue
to witness an information war of Russian
state-controlled media aimed at destroying
peace and security in Ukraine.
Anti-Ukrainian falsifications by
the Russian media defy norms
of journalistic ethics and human
morality, crudely incite inter-ethnic hatred. The Russian
state media are being widely
utilized by the Russian authorities
to disseminate propaganda, incite violence and promote
aggressive nationalism and chauvinism, which runs counter
to a number of the OSCE principles
and commitments, including those of the 2002 Porto
Document.
Responding to today’s claims
by the Russian
delegation concerning the limitations imposed by the
Ukrainian authorities on certain Russian
journalists, we wish to point
out that it is both
the duty and right of
every state to defend itself
from an external
aggression. The international standards in the field
of human rights and fundamental
freedoms provide for a possibility of limitations in the interests
of protection of national security
and public order. Such provisions
are enshrined in the International
Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (Article 19) and the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms (Article 10). These provisions are fully applicable
in the situations
of “hybrid warfare”, including armed aggression, against a sovereign state as is
the case of Russia’s aggression
against Ukraine.
Distinguished colleagues,
In this context
we wish to
sharpen the attention of all
participating States on the emphasis
placed by the Russian military
on information resources as “one
of the most
effective types of weapon” and
“falsification of events and restricting
the functioning of the media”
as the “main
component of hybrid warfare”. These quotations belong to the
Chief of General Staff of
the Russian Armed Forces. It
must be recalled
that the immediate measures which followed Russia’s intervention into the Crimea
and Donbas included the cut-off of Ukrainian
TV broadcasters and switch to Russia’s
state media as well as
severe restrictions on operation of
independent media and journalists.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairperson.