In the context of the dramatic situation created by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the CDMSI Bureau held an informal exchange of views on the tragic consequences and the dramatic impact of the conflict, including on related risks facing freedom of expression and, notably, the effective enjoyment of access to information. 

With deep sadness, the Bureau members commemorated the tragic deaths of journalists - Yevhenii Sakun, Brent Renaud, Pierre Zakrzewski and Oleksandra Kuvshynova - who lost their lives in the process of helping show the world the destruction and human cost of Russian Federation’s war on Ukraine.

In this regard, the Bureau reiterated, that maximum support is, more than ever, needed, in times of conflict, to ensure journalists’ freedom of movement and access to information, as well to guarantee their safety, in line with states’ obligations under international law related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, including journalists and other media actors (see Journalism in situations of conflict and aggression: Principles from the relevant Council of Europe and other international standards).

The Bureau members recalled that in times of in crisis, conflict and war more than ever, freedom of expression and information, and in particular access to reliable and trustworthy information, are of the most crucial and vital importance.

Respect and protection for the work of a free, independent and impartial media (including public service media) is, in times of conflict and aggression, key both to the protection of civilians and conflict escalation prevention, and to keeping the international community informed, in a timely and proper manner, of the most recent developments from the conflict zones and about the horrors and the reality of the conflict.

Furthermore, given the major role played by the internet in the public’s access to news and the dissemination of information, maintaining unhindered access to the internet is highly important. Also, in times of conflict, when information is used as a ‘weapon’, with extremely harmful potential, measures to combat disinformation, both in the countries involved in the conflict and more widely, are essential for ensuring accurate information about the conflict (see Information Disorder).