On the 1st of June 2017, the Council of Europe organised a dinner-debate in Tunis which brought together Tunisian parliamentarians, a representative of the Ministry in charge of constitutional bodies, civil society and Human rights, members of the media regulatory body in Tunisia (High Independent Authority of Audio-visual Communications –HAICA) as well as representatives of civil society and of the academic world.

This debate is part of the reform process, launched in Tunisia, of the legal framework governing the audio-visual sector and establishing the constitutional body of audio-visual communication as enshrined in the Tunisian Constitution.

Undertaken in a spirit of information sharing and dialogue, the meeting provided an opportunity for participants to look in particular at the guarantees of independence of the future body as well as the pre-requisites for its effective functioning. Also, it has been stressed that in the reform process maintaining dialogue between all stakeholders is necessary and that parliamentarians have a crucial role to play.

This initiative is a follow-up of several activities organised by the Council of Europe in 2016 with Tunisian Parliamentarians aiming at enriching their reflexion on the protection of freedom of expression and media freedom in Tunisia.

Links

• Photo gallery
• "Promoting freedom of expression, independence and plurality of the media in Tunisia"
• Facebook page of the Council of Europe Office in Tunisia

Related activities:

• Debate on the role of the legislator in promoting freedom of expression and freedom of the media (27 June 2016)
• Study visit of Tunisian Parliamentarians on freedom of expression (21-23 June 2016 - FR only)