SCO countries urged to chalk out charter for media cooperation for next 10-15 years

BEIJING, June 1 (APP):Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Additional Secretary Shafqat Jalil Friday urged the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states to chalk out a mutually agreed upon charter for media cooperation, clearly delineating development goals and areas of cooperation for media for the next 10-15 years.
“In order to do justice to Shanghai spirit and opening up a new era of media cooperation, it is important that we, at the SCO, should chalk out a mutually agreed upon charter for media cooperation, clearly delineating our development goals and area of cooperation for our media for the next 10-15 years,” he said while addressing the participants of opening ceremony of the first Shanghai Cooperation Organization (ECO) media summit held here on Friday.
He said this charter would not only provide the guidelines for media cooperation but also provide a direction for the regional countries to align their media development policies toward the achievement of the goals of SCO.
“Mutual trust among the member states can be strengthened through cultural exchanges, news sharing mechanism, and promoting people to people contact,” he added.
Shafqat Jalil opined the effective cooperation in the field of culture and media would bring the SCO states closer, trade and the economy can be enhanced development policies like Belt and Road initiative and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as well as promoting and sharing research, technology, and culture among the media organizations.
“Media can play a positive role in promoting intra-SCO harmony for maintaining peace, security, and stability in the region through responsible reporting, and moving towards the establishment of a fair and rational new international political and economic order,” he added.
Stressing media cooperation among the SCO member states, he said media across the globe and especially in Asia was facing numerous challenges, adding, “This era of global communication and the penetration of the new media in our societies, has not only given rise to more open and informed citizenry but also the phenomenon of fake news, internet bullying, cultural imperialism, and propaganda.”
He opined the Asian countries had demonstrated and proved that progress and development could be achieved without giving up their values. Yet Asia was struggling to find its voice being heard in the international mainstream discourse.
The additional secretary said the SCO member states were still developing and had not yet attained the status of developed countries, adding, the primacy of media in promoting development through strategic communication could not be denied.
“There is enough space and opportunity for our communication experts, and media organizations to promote development through information dissemination about the development policies, and educating, informing and motivating the masses.
It is therefore, important that some mechanism of media cooperation among the SCO member states be established, for the promotion and publicity of Asian values, tackling the challenges being faced by the government, media and our societies in SCO member states, promoting development and education, and helping develop a discourse that will increase the standards of people through co-operation and help promote international peace,” he added.
About Pakistan, he said, the country was blessed with all ideal location, not only as a junction of South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East but also as a hub of regional connectivity. This could also be seen in the Pakistani culture which was an amalgam of local and regional cultures, adding, “Our national language, Urdu is also a mixture of local and regional languages.”
Keeping in line with its long tradition of respect for all cultures, Pakistan was keen on media cooperation which is representative and inclusive, he said and added, Pakistan was already engaged in various cultural cooperation mechanisms not only with China but other SCO countries.
He said Pakistan would like to expand media cooperation in the field of technology exchange, professional training of journalists and other media workers along with cultural exchange.
Shafqat Jalil informed the Pakistani media was one of the most vibrant in South Asia and it had achieved tremendous growth over the past 15 years.
He expressed the confidence that collaboration with the media organization of the SCO member countries would result in learning and sharing the best practices for effective dissemination of the objectives, policies, and plans of SCO.
Pakistan would like to enhance intra-SCO collaboration among the information. Broadcasting and culture divisions of respective countries for the promotion of people to people contact, he added.
He said Pakistan, with its vibrant media, deserve landscape comprising of lush green mountains, scorching deserts, ice-capped peaks, beautiful valleys, golden coastline, the rolling plain, and its diverse cultural ethnic, linguistic and historical heritage, provides ample opportunities and experiences to the people and youth of SCO member states.
He called upon the media leaders to develop a charter for media cooperation especially for providing training to journalists, and media workers of SCO member states on reporting, incorporating new technology, and the exchange of news and information through traditional and new media.
Welcoming the distinguished guests, Head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee Huang Kunming read out President Xi Jinping congratulatory letter to the first ECO media summit.
Secretary General, SCO, Rashid Alimov and leaders of the information authorities of SCO member states including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan also spoke on the occasion.
The first SCO Media Summit Initiative on strengthening media exchanges and cooperation was launched.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and agreement were signed among the media representatives of SCO member states.
Besides, Pakistan Ambassador to China, Masood Khalid, foreign diplomats from SCO member states, observer states and dialogue partner, media delegates of SCO member states also attended the summit.