Beirut, 4 April 2022 - The UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut gathered today representatives of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces and media institutions, in the first-of-its-kind meeting, in preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The meeting is part of a project implemented with the support of the Government of the Netherlands, within the framework of UNESCO’s flagship initiative LiBeirut, and was carried out with the participation of the former Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud.
The meeting aims to create a safe environment for media workers, raise awareness about the freedom of journalists and preserve their safety, especially during elections. These may constitute an environment in which risks abound while the internal security forces play an important role, which requires both parties to be well-informed of their rights, duties and legal restrictions during Election Day.
At the outset of the meeting, George Awad, National Programme Officer for Information and Communication at UNESCO Beirut, pointed out that "the security forces, the police and the media are all effective elements to ensure freedom of expression." He added: “A study conducted by UNESCO in 2020 in 65 countries indicates that violations of press freedom during demonstrations are exacerbated, and these violations include harassment, intimidation, attacks and arrests, sometimes by the police and security personnel. The lack of training of police officers to maintain order while enabling journalists to do their work is one of the main factors fueling these violations. UNESCO has provided training to 8,500 police members in 17 countries in Latin America, Africa and the Arab region, with local partnerships. UNESCO will expand, through a partnership announced this year with the International Police Association, the scope of its global program to protect journalists, as part of the United Nations action plan in this regard, and will fight long-term impunity for crimes against journalists.”
For his part, Colonel Joseph Mousallem, Head of Public Relations Division of the Internal Security Forces, considered that "this meeting comes in the natural context of the work of the Internal Security Forces that complements the work of the media, and within the framework of a work protocol signed with UNESCO in 2019." He emphasized that "the role of the media role is essential in terms of oversight and accountability, guaranteeing freedom of expression and the integrity of the democratic system, and pushing society towards progress. We believe in the need to protect journalists. Freedom of expression grows with security, especially during the election period."
As for the former minister, Ziad Baroud, he considered that the media and the security forces are both parts of the same body, stressing the complementary relationship between them. Minister Baroud presented a legal explanation of the media law related to the rights and duties of both parties, and highlighted the need to put forward ways to protect journalists within and outside the elections. He added that he had sought to formulate several proposals to regulate the relationship between the media and the security forces as well.
The participants then exchanged views in a discussion session, in which they presented their field experiences and suggestions for a better relationship between the two parties. These suggestions will be discussed for implementation before the election date.
Li Beirut is an international flagship initiative launched from Beirut by the Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, in the aftermath of the explosions, on August 27, 2020, to support the rehabilitation of schools, historic heritage buildings, museums, galleries and the creative industry, all of which suffered significant damage in the deadly explosions.