The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and the Ombudsman’s Office, together with the Council of Europe, are organising an international conference in Riga on 5 and 6 October on freedom of expression and the safety of journalists. Organised as part of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, it will be held under the theme “The Pen is mightier than the sword? Meeting today’s challenges to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists”.

The event will bring together representatives from governments, ombudspersons, international organisations active in protecting media freedom, media freedom NGOs and professional associations of journalists, including partners to the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.

On the first day of the conference, the Council of Europe will launch a continent-wide Campaign for the Safety of Journalists aimed at setting a path for a safer, independent, pluralistic media environment. The conference will address issues such as the current threats to the freedom of expression and the safety of journalists and the challenges to journalism in times of war and crisis – with the war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine in the background.

Other topics include how to tackle the legal limitations of freedom of expression in times of conflict and war, with a keynote speech by the Latvian judge of the European Court of Human Rights, Mārtiņš Mits. In addition, participants will examine what independent media can do to counter disinformation.

Speakers at the opening on 5 October include the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and President of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, Krišjānis Kariņš, the Minister of Culture of Latvia, Agnese Logina, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, and the Council of Europe’s director for Information Society and Action against Crime, Hanne Juncher.

The Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General, Bjørn Berge, and Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Latvia and head of the Latvian delegation to the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), will close the event on 6 October.