The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Ambassador Jan Braathu, concluded a three-day official visit to Mongolia, during which he met with H.E. Mrs. Battsetseg Batmunkh, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Mr. Aldarjavkhlan Jukov, Minister of Culture, Sports, Tourism, and Youth; Mr. Munkh-Erdene Dembereltseren, Deputy Minister of Justice and Home Affairs; Mr. Bat-Erdene Jalavsuren, Chairman and CEO of the Communications Regulatory Commission of Mongolia; as well as Members of Parliament Mr. Tsogtbaatar Damdin and Ms. Munkhsoyol Baatarjav. The Representative also met with representatives of the Press Institute of Mongolia, the Confederation of Mongolian Journalists and the Media Council of Mongolia as well as various journalists in the country.
The main focus of the Representative's meetings was the current status of Mongolia's Draft Law on Freedom of the Media, which was recently jointly reviewed by the Office of RFoM and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, as well as proposed amendments to the criminal code in relation to defamation. The economic viability of media, the importance of strengthening ethical journalism and the necessity to invest in media literacy were also discussed.
Moreover, the Representative emphasized the need for all OSCE participating States to do more in implementing Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/18 on the Safety of Journalists and officially presented its translation into the Mongolian language .
"I appreciate the open exchange with Mongolia's authorities and journalists, and our mutual understanding that media freedom is essential for the protection of other human rights and our security architecture. I look forward to continuing this very fruitful co-operation and remain ready to assist Mongolia with media-related issues," Braathu said.
The Representative also discussed the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms on journalists and media outlets, promoting the policy manual " Safeguarding Media Freedom in the Age of Big Tech Platforms and AI " as a set of concrete recommendations grounded in international human rights standards, aimed at supporting OSCE participating States in their efforts to establish guardrails that will protect journalism's visibility, viability and safety.
On 7 October, the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media, at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia and in co-operation with the Media Council of Mongolia, conducted a training programme on Media Literacy and Ethical Journalism for over 60 journalists. This initiative aimed to strengthen journalists' understanding of journalism's role in society, while linking media freedom, editorial independence and ethical standards to everyday newsroom decisions. It explored how journalists can promote public trust in a fragmented information environment, and identified practical approaches that Mongolian journalists and newsrooms can apply in their daily work.
Addressing participants of the training programme, Representative Braathu said: "Our shared OSCE commitments provide a clear foundation: journalists must be able to work safely, independently and without undue interference. Today's exchange is a practical opportunity to discuss how we all can contribute to that goal. I thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for taking this initiative."
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments.
Learn more at rfom.osce.org , X: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom
