Journalism after Charlie

Journalism after Charlie

UNESCO event: "Journalism after Charlie" - Speech by Annick Girardin, French Minister of State for Development and Francophony (Paris, 14 January 2015).

Madam Director-General,

Ambassadors,

Jean Plantureux, or "Plantu",

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would firstly like to thank UNESCO and Director-General Irina Bokova for organising this event "Journalism after Charlie", just days after the tragic events in Paris. I commend the speed of its response and thank it for inviting the French Government, whom I represent this morning, to share some thoughts with you. In the wake of the sadness and the ongoing contemplation, in the wake of the unprecedented show of solidarity we have seen in recent days, comes a time to reflect and construct the aftermath, with our questions, our hopes, our ideas, and our values. After the week and the historic events of Sunday, there is something impalpable in the air, something indescribable, but something we intuitively know will bear fruit, provided that in future we all act in the public interest. It is our collective and individual responsibility.

This is the challenge facing the worlds of both politics and journalism. We must turn to the world, which has turned to and reached out to us. We must remain open, open to others. We must avoid recoil and hatred. We must stand together.

As the Prime Minister said yesterday, we owe it to the French people to be careful about the words we use and the image we portray. We must none of us lose sight of the public interest. Acting in the public interest means preserving the unity of the nation, centred on its values, taking care to avoid confusion and ensuring social cohesion.

More than ever, this spirit of solidarity must be expressed in concrete terms. It must help us tackle the challenges of terrorism and radicalisation. Our focus must be on the younger generation, to whom we have a duty to offer a real future, both here and elsewhere. Their aspirations are simple, universal!

On a political level, the measures that will be adopted in the coming days will necessarily be accompanied by additional measures.

I refer primarily to education and secularism.

In the age of the information society, the proliferation of social networks, blogs, forums, etc. means that there are as many people producing information as there are receiving it. We must ensure young people are equipped to decipher, filter and prioritise this information.

We must not only teach them how to analyse, but also how to live in society.

Secularism is a mark of unity and tolerance. The notion of French secularism is not always understood in other parts of world. Its purpose is to give each individual a choice – to believe or not to believe – without any interference from the State, without preaching in the places that underpin the values of our republic, without religion interfering in political affairs. We will continue to uphold it with pride and pass it on to our children. I quote this morning's edition of Charlie Hebdo: "only through secularism can we be truly free, because secularism advocates the universality of rights, the exercise of equality, liberty and fraternity". More than ever in today's world, it stands as a solution to the rise of extremism and fanaticism. Thus it must be reinforced. As announced by my colleague, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, handbooks on secularism will be distributed in all schools, training for teachers on the subject of religion will be enhanced, and moral and civic values will be taught in all classes from the next school year.

One week ago, journalists and cartoonists were murdered at the offices of Charlie Hebdo. They are martyrs who died for an ideal: martyrs of freedom of expression, freedom of information and laughter, debate and criticism.

Unfortunately, they are not the first journalists to die for this cause. Long before the shocking events that unfolded at Charlie Hebdo, journalists have been victims of violence and have paid for the freedom of expression with their lives. In 2014, 66 journalists, 11 colleagues, and 19 citizen journalists were killed, while more than 350 were detained, thousands of them victims of harassment, arbitrary arrests, draconian legislation. Their names are still fresh in our minds: Ghislaine Dupont, Claude Verdon, Camille Lepage, James Foley, Steven Sotloff. Perhaps worse still is the fact that, in the case of 90% of these crimes, those responsible have still not been brought to justice; the world has never been a more dangerous place for journalists.

The journalist Georges Malbrunot, here with us today, was kidnapped and held for more than 120 days in Iraq. His captors' demand? Repeal of the French law on religious symbols in State schools.

Journalism is a hazardous occupation and France takes what steps it can to protect journalists and keep them safe, both in times of peace and of war. It provides support to journalists at risk through training, cooperation, monitoring and advocacy, in particular in collaboration with the NGO Reporters Without Borders and the International Federation for Human Rights Leagues. In Africa and the Near and Middle East, France is involved in monitoring the freedom of the press and providing emergency assistance to journalists in danger in nearly 40 countries.

France has instigated action in the name of this cause at international forums – UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the United Nations General Assembly, the Council for Human Rights in Geneva.

It was at the initiative of France that, in late 2013, a resolution of the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2 November to be the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, in memory of the murder of two RFI journalists.

It was also at the initiative of France and of Greece that the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted, on 23 December 2006, a resolution on the 'Protection of civilians in armed conflict', which aims to prevent, for the first time, acts of violence against journalists in war-torn regions.

In the world today, one in three web users does not have access to a free, unrestricted Internet service. What is the point of freedom of expression if no one can hear you? Equality of expression and equal access to information, are, from this point of view, inextricably linked to freedom of expression.

Again in partnership with Reporters Without Borders and with Canal France International, France offers journalists training in digital security and how to get around cyber censorship. On a visit to Burma a few weeks ago, I was able to see for myself how important the provision of this type of training in journalism schools is to the press in developing countries.

It goes without saying that France will always defend information that is free and independent, however caustic and irreverent. However, in defending freedom of expression France is nonetheless mindful of the freedom of conviction and belief. We respect the sensitivity of opinions around the world. All media have the right to publish in France, in compliance with the law. If anyone is harmed or offended by a publication, whatever it may be, he or she has the right and the opportunity to apply to the courts to ensure his or her rights are respected. But a person must never resort to violence.

At a time when the eyes of young people around the world, including in Africa, are upon us, we must intensify our efforts, our pleas, our assistance.

Cartoons can make you laugh and think, can edify, and can carry extremely powerful ideas in a universal language. In this, cartoonists are akin to the foot soldiers of democracy. This is the ethos behind the association Cartooning for Peace, founded by cartoonist Plantu, who is among us today. Many exhibitions by this association find refuge in our embassies and our institutions. I hope this initiative will continue.

Let me conclude with a few words as spoken by Prime Minister Manuel Valls yesterday when he addressed the French national assembly: "The best response to terrorism that wants to crush the very core of what we are – a great democracy – is law, democracy and freedom ".

Thank you.

Recent news from projects on the ground