Mr Manuel Marín, Member of the Commission with special responsibility for cooperation and humanitarian aid, gave a speech today at the "Brussels Symposium" on the press and democracy in Africa, organized jointly by the Commission and the organization "Reporters sans Frontières". The following are extracts from Mr Marín's speech: "A few short years ago, there would have been little use in holding a symposium on the press in the developing countries. Today, however, as the discussions at this symposium have shown, we are witnessing a new dawn for the press in Africa, indeed in the countries of the developing world generally. We can state openly today that the defence of human rights, democracy and thus freedom of information are essential and indispensable elements of any development policy. Granted, we must respect cultural traditions, sociological realities and ethnic divisions. However, if I may express myself in terms which, while not particularly diplomatic, are none the less sincere, we must also acknowledge that there is not one type of democracy for whites and another for blacks. For a very long time, the Community's development cooperation policy, like that of other donors, avoided specific reference to democratization as an essential element of development. Having regard to the principle of non-interference and the reality of the cold war, the European Community confined itself in the past to a "neutral" cooperation policy, condemning only the most flagrant and brutal of wholesale human rights violations. Today, all that has changed thanks mainly to the resolve, courage and demands for freedom of the citizens of the developing countries. It is in fact the people of the developing countries who have asserted their right to dignity and freedom of thought and expression. I know that during this Symposium, you have heard the moving and dramatic accounts of a number of African journalists, here with us today, who have been subjected to violence by ruling powers solely for having dared to defend the right to information. It is also owing to these individual acts of courage that I am a firm believer in the future of democracy in Africa: in spite of resistance and in spite of everyday difficulties, Africa has embarked upon a historic process of emancipation." (...) "In the developing countries, as in the rest of the world, a newly emergent independent press constitutes a guarantee that the voice of the people is heard above the will of the ruling power. The experience of democracies, even the most advanced among them, shows that the existence of a free and independent press is a vital and irreplaceable element of the balance of power in any society. If it is true to say that there is no real development in the absence of democracy and therul of law it is equally true to say that there is no democracy without freedom of expression. For this reason, donors and international organizations active in development should, in future, give much greater priority to the communication media in the developing countries, particularly in Africa. I hope that this Symposium has helped facilitate the exchange of views and experiences between representatives of the African press and the international organizations which, like the Commission, are in a position to lend their support. As far as the Commission is concerned, the lessons drawn from this meeting will undoubtedly enable us to act in a more consistent and effective manner in defending freedom of information. We should therefore consider in future how the criterion of support for the consolidation of a democratic and independent press might best be incorporated into our cooperation programmes with the developing countries." * * *
