The Portuguese Government welcomes the appointment of Teresa Ribeiro, current Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, as OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, an international position of the greatest importance for the defence and promotion of the freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

The decision, taken today in Tirana, Albania, by the OSCE Ministerial Council, acknowledges the merits of a professional career dedicated to the public service, in the fields of media and diplomacy, and also her personal skills for holding a demanding international position of the utmost importance for the defence and promotion of the freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

The appointment of Teresa Ribeiro also testifies the contribution of Portugal and its foreign policy to the defence and promotion of international cooperation and multilateralism, being the first time that a Portuguese national leads one of OSCE’s institutions.

Established in 1997, the position of Representative on Freedom of the Media of the OSCE, reflects the central importance attached to freedom of expression and the independence, pluralism and freedom of the media as pillars of democratic societies, anchored on Human Rights and the Rule of Law.

The OSCE consists of 57 participating States and is the largest regional security organization. It is based on a comprehensive concept of security, encompassing the political-military, economic-environmental and human dimensions.

The Portuguese Government also welcomes the appointments of Helga Schmid (Germany) for the position of OSCE Secretary General, of Matteo Mecacci (Italy) for the position of Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and of Kairat Abdrakhmanov (Kazakhstan) for the position of High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) of the organization.

Lisbon, December 4, 2020

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