Garowe (RBC) More than 40 members from media stakeholders including the Puntland civil society organizations Puntland regions and ministry of information in concluded a two-day media law reform consultation meeting in Garowe, on Sunday 12, 2013.
The meeting was organized by the Puntland Non-State Actor’s Association (PUNSAA) with the collaboration of Media Association of Puntland (MAP) and the ministry on formation. The meeting purposely focused on reviewing a draft law prepared by the ministry to regulate media.
The consultative conference was officially opened the Puntland Minister of Information, Mohamoud Aideed Dirir who said that this media law has been established by the Ministry of information and was using since its establishment and now we have decided to consult with the media stakeholders to comment and contribute their inputs.
“ The importance is, today we are together for the media law consultative process and your contributions are very important as equal citizens. “ Mr. Mohamoud Aideed Dirir, PUntland Minister of information said, “We, as the ministry of information, have been working the media law since late last year, it is good for all of us to contribute this media law in order to get a healthy media.”
Abdifatah Sugule, vice chairman of PUNSAAC said that, “As PUNSAA, we are happy to facilitate this important gathering for the media law reform process and the media law is important and if the media gets self regulatory mechanism, there will not be any confusion between the media, the people and the government.
The Secretary General of the Media Association in Puntland (MAP) who is also the president of National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) praised the initiative of reforming media legislations. He called this consultative forum as a historic step forward towards improving and broadening of the freedom of the expression and that of the press freedoms in Puntland. He encouraged the participants to work together and put all their strengths to come up with purposeful ideas to produce a futuristic and comprehensive media law which is compatible to the international standards of professional media.
The participants also condemned the unethical use of the name of Puntland Journalists notably the recent report: Entitled “Puntland media blackout for London Conference.” They called it as conspiracy to blacken the image of the media and journalists in Puntland. They distanced themselves from such a report. The participants also called the individual/s being behind this falsified report as pirates of journalism.
“On behalf of the Somali journalists, especially the Puntland journalists and the media, we declare that the report had nothing to do with the Puntland Media and Journalists and send my thankfulness to the people and the government of Britain for supporting the Somali people and their current initiative of supporting the rebuilding of Somalia. I also send our appreciation to the British Embassy in Somalia and the Albany associates for their noble work in assisting Somalia and its media in this time of critical need and we therefore denigrate any nuisance that fallacious report might have caused.” said Mr. Burhaan Ahmed Dahir, MAP secretary General and NUSOJ President.
“We reassure our commitment to a peaceful journalism that is guided by professional ethics of journalism.” He concluded.
RBC Radio
Use Facebook to Comment on this Post
