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The Second Conference of Editors and Working Journalists of SAARC countries has recommended liberalized visa regime among member countries for media professionals. It has also recommended reduction in duties on newsprint, printing machinery etc and removal of tariff restrictions on media products. The Conference has also called for preservation and development of a free media including right of healthy dissent within the overall orbit of free speech.
The Conference was of the opinion that development of media might be considered as tool for mutual cooperation towards peace, economic development and removal of poverty and ignorance. The two-day Conference, which concluded here today, unanimously recommended frequent interaction between the SAARC Conference of Editors and Working Journalists and groups of South Asian journalists working on track-II to chalk out cohesive strategy for the growth of media in the region. It also recommended exchange programmes among newspaper organizations of member countries and greater interaction among working journalists.
The Conference deliberated upon the draft submitted by Bangladesh regarding setting up of a SAARC Media Development Fund and recommended setting up of an expert group to work out details for the fund. The Conference felt need for inclusion of some more points in the Plan of Action on Information and Media adopted by the SAARC countries in 1998. These points may include dedicated space in newspapers/periodicals to cover the SAARC development news regularly, establishing a SAARC Media Training Academy for human resource development and to encourage cooperation and exchange of information between news agencies of member countries.
The Conference also discussed inputs to be included in the SAARC common position to be presented in the World Summit on the Information Society to be held in Tunis in November 2005. Participants in the conference expressed the hope that SAARC’s recognition to South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) as Regional Media Forum would encourage this body to further promote the SAARC ideals.
The Conference was attended by the delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India besides the SAARC secretariat. The leaders of delegation presented country papers stating current situation of print and electronic media and highlighted the complexities of the working environment for journalists in their respective countries. Earlier, the Principal Information Officer and the leader of the Indian delegation, Dr. Shakuntala Mahawal was elected as the Chairperson of the Conference.
The next Conference will be held in Maldives in 2005.
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