[news] OSCE Mission offers guidelines for Kosovo media and police

[ANTIC.org-SNN]

OSCE Mission offers guidelines for Kosovo media and police     PRISTINA, 23 November 2005 – In order to promote a better understanding of the rights and responsibilities of police and journalists and to enhance the professional relationship between them, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo has developed guidelines for each side to deal with the other.   The pocket-size, combined Police and Journalists’ Guidelines will serve as a quick reference tool, informing the police about the rights and proper treatment of journalists and outlining for journalists their responsibilities in dealing with the police.   “Partnership between media and police is extremely important in many areas, including preventing, reporting, and solving crimes, and providing documentary data on actions by criminals and corrupt officials over time,” said Horst Denecke, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission’s Department of Democratization.   “All open democracies have functioning relationships between police and media, protected by law and supported by mutual co-operation and respect.”   The principles contained in the guidelines are based in the Provisional Criminal Code of Kosovo, the Juvenile Justice Code, media code of conducts and the European Convention for Human Rights.   The OSCE Mission is currently organizing debates in regions with journalists and officers of the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) to present the guidelines. Sessions have also been held during regular courses at the OSCE-run Police School and with regional KPS operational support units.   These guidelines are part of a larger effort of the OSCE Mission to improve police-media relations. The Mission will provide each police station and media outlet, as well as individual police officers and journalists, with the Police and Journalists’ Guidelines.   In December, the Association of Independent Broadcast Media of Kosovo [AMPEK], will form a working group to take local ownership for the guidelines in 2006.   The guidelines are available in English, Albanian, Serbian and Turkish, and can be found on the OSCE Mission website at www.osce.org/kosovo.   --------------------------------------------------- Sven Lindholm Mission Spokesperson OSCE Mission in Kosovo Tel: +381 38 500 162 ext.260 Mob: +377 44 500 254