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New OSCE Media Freedom Representative building new coalition defending media freedom

posted on 12 September, 2017   (public)

New OSCE Media Freedom Representative building new coalition defending media freedom

A coalition of international journalist and media freedom organisations, as well as intergovernmental institutions met  in Brussels on 5 September under the initiative of Harlem Désir, the newly appointed OSCE Media Freedom Representative, and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) to discuss challenges and develop new ideas for cooperation to defend media freedom across Europe.

On 18 July 2017, Harlem Désir was appointed as the new OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) for a period of three years. Prior to this position, Harlem Désir  was French Minister of State for European Affairs, attached to the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, since April 2014.

  • Harlem Désir was a Member of the European Parliament for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2014. He was a member of the Committee on Industry, Energy and Research, the Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Development. He was also Vice-President of the Delegation for relations with the United States (2002-2004), member of the Joint ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly (2002-2009) and member of the Delegation for relations with India (2009-2014). Désir served as Vice-President of the Socialist Group of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009 and as First Secretary of the French Socialist Party from 2012 to 2014.
  • In October 1984, Harlem Désir co-founded the French not-for-profit association “SOS Racisme”, whose objective is to fight against racism, anti-Semitism and all other forms of discrimination. 
  • Harlem Désir holds a Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from the Paris I Sorbonne University. He has been awarded the Olof Palme Prize (Sweden, 1990) and the Grand Cross of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece, 2016).

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has an early warning function with regard to free media and freedom of expression and provides rapid response to serious non-compliance. This includes efforts to ensure the safety of journalists; assist with the development of media pluralism; promote decriminalization of defamation; combat hate speech while preserving freedom of expression; provide expert opinions on media regulation and legislation; promote Internet freedom; and assist with the process of switching from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Previous Representatives were:


The Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media has the status of permanent observer at EPRA meetings.

Source: OSCE-RFoM Website