“The Current State and Perspectives of Media Self-Regulation in Armenia” – December 23-25, 2011, Aghveran (Armenia), seminar, organized by Yerevan Press Club under “Alternative Resources in Media” project, supported by USAID. The participants (40 in number) were the Media Ethics Observatory members, heads, representatives of media and journalistic organizations. Main issues discussed: the application practice of the RA defamation legislation; the public awareness on the Armenian media self-regulation mechanisms; the complaints addressed to the Media Ethics Observatory; organizational issues. On December 24 the meeting of the representatives of media and journalistic associations, supporting the YPC initiative on establishing a self-regulation system in Armenia, was held.
“Two Years after Armenian-Turkish Protocols: Media Coverage and Public Perceptions in Armenia and Turkey” – October 4-5, 2011, Aghveran (Armenia), round table, organized by Yerevan Press Club within the Internews Network and YPC project “Dialogue Building Between Armenia and Turkey”, supported by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of US Department of State. The participants (25 in number) listed experts, journalists from Armenia and Turkey, representatives of international organizations, diplomatic missions accredited in RA. Main issues discussed: new turn in Turkish foreign policy and the public perceptions in Turkey; current state of Armenian-Turkish relations after the elections in Turkey and before elections in Armenia; Armenian attitude to the Turkish foreign policy in the context of the recent developments in Middle East/North Africa; Armenian-Turkish relations and the Armenian community in Turkey; media coverage of the recent developments in Armenian-Turkish relations.
“The Role of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in the Fields of Visa Facilitation and Media Reforms” – September 8-10, 2011, Aghveran (Armenia), seminar, organized by Yerevan Press Club with the support of Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The participants (26 in number) represented Armenian NGOs and media, experts from Belarus, Moldova, Poland and Ukraine. Main issues discussed: recommendations of the EaP Civil Society Forum on visa facilitation, their implementation process in Armenia, prospects of strengthening ties between EaP CSF and NGOs in the field of visa facilitation; EaP CSF recommendations on media, their implementation process in Armenia, prospects of strengthening ties between EaP CSF and NGOs in the media field.
“The Role of the EaP Civil Society Forum in Fostering Public Administration and Fight against Corruption” – June 30 – July 2, 2011, Gyumri (Armenia), seminar, organized by Yerevan Press Club with the support of Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The participants (30 in number) represented Armenian NGOs, experts from Ukraine and Spain. Main issues discussed: recommendations of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum in the field of public administration, their implementation process in Armenia; recommendations of the EaP CSF on fight against corruption, their implementation process in Armenia; perspectives for enhancing synergy between the CSF and Armenian NGOs in the field of public administration; perspectives for enhancing synergy between the CSF and Armenian NGOs in the anti-corruption issues.
“The Role of the EaP Civil Society Forum in Fostering Human Rights and Judiciary” – June 23-25, 2011, Alaverdi (Armenia), seminar, organized by Yerevan Press Club with the support of Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The participants (30 in number) represented Armenian human rights organizations. Main issues discussed: recommendations of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum on human rights, their implementation process in Armenia; recommendations of the EaP CSF on judiciary, their implementation process in Armenia; perspectives for enhancing synergy between the CSF and Armenian NGOs in the field of human rights; perspectives for enhancing synergy between the CSF and Armenian NGOs in the field of judiciary.
“Balancing Responsible Journalism and Freedom of Expression” – June 18-19, 2011, Aghveran (Armenia), conference, organized by Yerevan Press Club in the frames of “Promoting Freedom, Professionalism and Pluralism of the Media in the South Caucasus and Moldova” programme, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the CoE. The participants (43 in number) represented lawyers, Armenian media, journalistic organizations and state bodies, CoE experts. Main issues discussed: challenges and advantages of the decriminalization of Armenian legislation on defamation and insult; protection of the rights to freedom of expression before domestic courts in defamation/insult cases and the insights into the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights; media self-regulation versus judicial protection in defamation/insult cases.
Meeting of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Media Sub-Working Group – February 21-24, 2011, Istanbul (Turkey), organized by Yerevan Press Club with the financial assistance of Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation. The participants (19 in number) – members of the Sub-Working Group and host experts. Main issues discussed: preliminary results of monitoring the human rights situation in EaP countries; media situation in Belarus following December 2010 presidential elections; media-landscapes in 6 EaP countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine); CoE media-related assistance work in EaP countries; digitalization issues in EaP countries; preparation of a joint report on the media situation in EaP countries.
