Media freedom experts: Governments to promote access to and the free flow of information during the health crisis

The monitors for freedom of expression and freedom of the media for the United Nations, the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights, and the Representative on Freedom of the Media of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) issued a joint statement on the protection of the freedom of expression and access to information during the pandemic. They called on governments to provide truthful information about the threat posed by the coronavirus, refrain from blocking Internet access, make exceptional efforts to protect the work of journalists, address disinformation and restrict the use of surveillance tools.