Maharat foundation and UNESCO held a series of regional meetings during December 2011 in Zahle municipality, Safadi foundation in Tripoli, Marjeyoun municipality, and USEK to discuss with journalists, intellectuals and journalism students the charter for information developed by the UNESCO in 2008.

During the meetings, the charter was presented within the framework of Maharat’s attempt to amend the media system in Lebanon, and the attendees presented their feedback concerning the charter’s layout and content.

The discussions resulted in the necessity of adopting the charter by the journalists, but its application will remain theoretical as long as the rights of the journalists are not secured by their syndicate and with the political affiliation of media institutions.

All the participants agreed that not only journalists are to be blamed, and the charter will remain useless with the absence of a law defining the terms and duties of all media institutions.

Developing the charter is within the attempts of Maharat who is working on developing media laws in Lebanon through initiatives and interactive workshops since November 2010 when a law proposal was registered in the parliament with the PM Ghassan Moukhaiber. This law proposal is considered a common ground for all media institutions, and is being discussed today in the parliamentary committee for information and communication. The law proposal will be followed by suggestions concerning the organization of the audio visual media and the syndicates, and the adoption of a charter for information that is very needed to adjust the current situation of the media institutions.

attached the Charter for Information

Charter for information in lebanon