The opening session of the Third Yemeni Annual Media Conference, 2024
On Monday morning, September 16, 2024, the Third Yemeni Annual Media Conference organized by the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory and the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC) kicked off virtually. The Conference was held under “Media Freedom and Digital Transformation,” highlighting two fundamental pillars for the future of journalism in Yemen.
The Conference was opened by journalist Ms. Asia Thabet, with over male and female 300 journalists, human rights activists, and representatives from international organizations in attendance. Mustafa Nasr, the Chairman of the Studies and Economic Media Center, highlighted that male and female journalists and media professionals in Yemen are facing extremely risky conditions, without any authority to support them or a legal framework to protect them. He called for the immediate release of detained and forcibly disappeared journalists.
“It is unfortunate that this Conference is being held while dozens of our colleagues and those working in local and international civil society organizations, as well as diplomatic missions, remain abducted and forcibly disappeared under fabricated charges and false accusations”, Nasr added.
He called for cooperation between local and international organizations and all human rights defenders to advocate for their release and to hold all human rights violators in Yemen accountable.
Nasr highlighted the challenges faced by Yemeni journalists, including financial difficulties, physical and psychological abuse, digital threats, and even pressures within the media field itself. “Besides defending journalists who face violations, we, as journalists, should affirm that those who engage in incitement, use vulgar language in criticism, spread disinformation and rumors, or recruited by various factions, for personal purposes, instead of saying the truth, do not represent true journalism. “But, instead, they are a fleeting phenomenon and one of the distortions of war.
- Key Points from the Opening Speech by Mustafa Nasr, SEMC’s Chairman, at the Third Media Conference:
For her part, H.E Jeannette Seppen, the Netherlands Ambassador to Yemen, affirmed the continued support for journalism and civil society in Yemen, emphasizing that the protection of human rights, including the protection of freedom of expression, democracy, and the rule of law, remains a key priority of the Netherlands’ foreign policy worldwide.
She expressed her great admiration for Yemeni journalists and women journalists who continue to struggle despite difficult and dangerous conditions, saying, “That is why we are pleased to support the first Courage in Journalism Award in Yemen, which will be announced next December.”
Ms. Seppen praised the efforts of the Media Freedom Observatory, affiliated with the SEMC, in documenting violations and defending journalists’ cases, as well as providing legal, digital, and psychological support under difficult circumstances. She also emphasized that these efforts are crucial in supporting media freedom in Yemen.
She also commended the support provided by the Yemeni Media Freedoms Observatory to protect women journalists in Yemen, who face greater challenges in Yemeni society and are particularly vulnerable to cyberbullying and extortion.
Moreover, she called on the Houthi group to immediately and unconditionally release the Yemeni employees working with the United Nations, the High Commissioner, diplomatic missions, and non-governmental organizations who have been arbitrarily detained for more than a hundred days. She pointed out that, in addition to being a blatant violation of human rights, the continued detention significantly hinders the ability of workers to aid millions of Yemenis in need, not to mention undermining the civil space in Yemen’s north areas, under the Houthis control.
She explained that the Netherlands’s Embassy to Yemen is making efforts on behalf of the detainees in a quiet diplomacy representing a strong approach in this regard, alongside the tools used by civil society organizations in Yemen.
The Conference, titled “Media Freedoms and Digital Transformation,” lasted five days and featured 11 sessions covering various issues related to press freedom and supporting digital transformation. Discussions also explored the future of journalism in the face of digital challenges, the importance of specialized journalism, and the cybersecurity threats faced by male and female journalists.
The Conference also addressed the significance of podcasts, the role of media in environmental and climate change issues, and the use of artificial intelligence to enhance innovation in journalism.
To watch the full opening of the Conference, click here