The second meeting on the National Focal Points to the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists- Journalists Matter took place in Strasbourg on 20-21 June 2024.
After a first inaugural meeting National Focal Points under the Journalists Matter Campaign that coincided with the launch of the Campaign in October 2023, in Riga, this second gathering of Focal Points focused on concrete follow-up actions aimed at enhancing the safety of journalists across member States of the Council of Europe.
The meeting served as a platform for National Focal Points to engage in comprehensive dialogue with the Campaign's secretariat and other relevant stakeholders.
During the meeting, National Focal Points shared the steps taken at the domestic level to launch the Campaign and discussed the identification of areas needing further action.
In particular, national representatives shared their experience in initiating national consultations for the creation of Campaign committees or other structures dedicated to assessing needs and planning activities under the National Chapters of the Campaign.
They were informed about the possibility to engage in cooperation projects related to media freedom and the safety of journalists through the Cooperation on Freedom of Expression Division of the Organisation.
The Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists- Journalists Matter is co-ordinated by the Steering Committee for Media and Information Society (CDMSI) and its Secretariat, the Freedom of Expression and CDMSI Division.
To support the implementation of the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists – Journalists Matter in North Macedonia, the EU and Council of Europe joint action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in North Macedonia” have translated key materials related to the campaign into Macedonian language, to make sure the Campaign has greater reach in the local level. The action “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in North Macedonia”, is part of the “Horizontal Facility for Western Balkans and Türkiye” co-founded by the EU and Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
