Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) - Stakeholders

The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) is a foundation established in 1989 in Warsaw. The HFHR is one of the most experienced and professional non-governmental organizations involved in the protection of human rights in Europe. It is active both in Poland and abroad, in particular in the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, the Caucasus and Central Asia. HFHR conducts national and international trainings, organizes conferences and seminars. It provides expert consultation in the sphere of human rights and freedoms to individuals as well as to non-governmental organizations and to state institutions.

In 1993, the Foundation set up the Human Rights House in Warsaw, an international network to protect, empowers and support human rights defenders and their organizations. Today, more than 100 independent human rights organizations work together in 15 Human Rights Houses located in Eastern and Western Europe, the Caucasus and the Balkans. The headquarter of the Human Rights House Foundation is based in Oslo.

In Poland the Foundation has established the Observatory of Media Freedom , a program dedicated to monitoring the standards of protection of the freedom of expression in Poland, through legal opinions, analysis and complaints to the European Court of Human Rights.

Union of Cyprus Journalists - Stakeholders

The Union of Cyprus Journalists  was founded in 1960 and has now 560 members comprising "all the professional journalists working in the country" as proudly stated in its webpage.

The Union aims at strengthening the freedom of the press and safeguarding independent journalism. It is an active member of the European Federation of Journalists.

Professional journalists with at least six months service are eligible to join the Union, regardless of ethnic origin, race and religion.

Plataforma en Defensa de la Libertad de Información (PDLI) - Stakeholders

Plataforma en Defensa de la Libertad de Información (PDLI) is a Spanish civil society group uniting journalists, lawyers, media houses, social movements and consumer advocates.

PDLI arouse out of the concern of a group of organisations and individuals in the legal field, journalism and social movements after the deterioration of freedom of expression and information in Spain, following a series of reforms and the approval of new laws, such as the Organic Law Project on the Protection of Citizen Security, the Intellectual Property Law, the Transparency Law.

Among the activities PDLI carries out, there is the monitoring and dissemination of attacks on freedom of expression against journalists and the media, as well as against activists, social movements and citizens. PDLI also support campaign in defense of media freedom and organise training programs for journalists, activists and social movements on how to safely exercise their profession.

PDLI launched mapea.cc, an online tool to collect data on legal threats to freedom of expression.

Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression - Stakeholders

The Committee to Protect Freedom of Expression is an Armenian NGO monitoring freedom of speech in the country, violations of journalists’ rights, and the development of independent media. It publishes general annual reports as well as more frequent analyses and reports on specific cases and issues. The Committee also develops recommendations on media legislation, and it provides support to journalists and media in need. The Committee is member of the Partnership for Open Society Initiative. 

Mediacentar Sarajevo - Stakeholders

Mediacentar Sarajevo supports the development of independent and professional journalism in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Over time, activities have been expanded to include:

• training programmes;
• publishing;
• media research;
• PR training and consulting services;
• AV production;
• event management;

 An integral part of Mediacentar is Infobiro , an archive of print media from B-H and the former Yugoslavia and a library containing literature on mass media. Mediacentar also publish a regional journal on culture and literature called Sarajevske Sveske (Sarajevo Notebooks) . Mediacentar was founded by Open Society Fund of B-H in 1995 in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 2000 it was registered as a separate education and research institution owned by Open Society Fund of B-H.

Sindikat medija Crne Gore - Trade Union of Media of Montenegro - Stakeholders

The Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (Sindikat medija Crne Gore) deals with contractual disputes between staff and employers and provides journalists legal support, but it also participates in public-awareness campaigns around specific policy or regulatory issues that impact journalists’ reporting practices and rights.

Association of BH Journalists (BH Novinari) - Stakeholders

Association of BH Journalists (BH Novinari) is a non-political and non-profit journalist association based in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Member of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), it connects journalists, freelance journalists, students and other professionals working in the journalistic sector in order to protect the independency of their activities.

It also offers practical support.

Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights - Stakeholders

Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights aims at promoting and developing in the society the awareness of and the attention to transparency and accountability. Its aims are:

• supporting and developing free software with the purpose of increasing the Freedom of Speech online and, more in general, the protection of rights and personal freedom in a connected world;
• supporting and developing the whistleblowing free-software solution named “GlobaLeaks” aimed at private and public organizations which shall be free to adopt the same software for their initiatives;
• taking part in associations or organizations which share the same goals as the Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights in the field of promotion and protection of civil liberties, anonymity in a connected world, whistleblowing, freedom of speech and investigative journalism;
• supporting the development and promotion of the Tor2web project and of the TOR network and tools thereof in general;
• supporting the development and actual management of the LeakDirectory website, listing whistleblowing websites;
• hosting or attending events aimed at increasing the culture of Transparency (i.e., public-interest whistleblowing, OpenData, OpenGovernment etc.)

MANS - Network for Affirmation of the NGO Sector - Stakeholders

MANS is a non-governmental organization that fights against corruption and organized crime in Montenegro. MANS struggles for a fair, open and free society of active citizens and for a government that serves the public interest. It is engaged in investigating cases of corruption and organized crime, monitoring the implementation of legislation and government policy, providing free legal aid to citizens, CSOs, media and businesses, developing law and policy proposals and analysis, conducting advocacy campaigns. It has dealt extensively with the issue of freedom of information and access to public information in Montenegro.

Türkiye Gazeteciler Cemiyeti (TGC)/ Turkish Journalists' Association - Stakeholders

Türkiye Gazeteciler Cemiyeti (TGC), the Turkish Journalists' Association, is Turkey’s largest professional organization in its sector that represents nearly 4,000 journalists. It was founded in 1946. The founders were motivated by the idea that journalists should have an independent professional organization safeguarding the principles of the profession and its members. TGC provides legal assistance to journalists facing courts regardless of whether they are members or not of the association. The TGC publishes a daily newspaper named Bizim Gazete .