In Nicosia, Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot journalists’ unions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding encouraging cooperation between members from both communities.
Representatives from the Union of Cyprus Journalists, the Turkish Cypriot press workers' union Basin-Sen and the Association of Turkish Cypriot Journalists agreed to mutual co-operation and solidarity on issues of journalists’ safety, access to information, and respect for professional standards. Participants in the ‘Cyprus Dialogue’ meeting, organised by the OSCE, also discussed issues such as ethics, good governance and self-regulation in their work.
“It is at times of conflict that societies need objective, unbiased reporting and accurate information the most,” said Jeremy Dear, Deputy General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). “Journalists’ unions are demonstrating their commitment to the values of ethical journalism and their willingness to take a stand to defend quality journalism against the many pressures it faces.”