Seville Charter

SEVILLE CHARTER
PRESENTED BY COPEAM
THE PURPOSE OF THE CHARTER

This Charter does not intend to lay down normative rules, limit the freedom of expression, or influence the editorial lines of the media. Aware of the risks of misleading the act of informing by means of practices aimed at conditioning opinions, with this Charter the signatory media intend to:

- assert their willingness to privilege an open information that integrates the patrimony and specificity of the cultural heritage of each one, within a framework of respect, tolerance and dialogue;
- comply with the fundamental principles of professional ethics;
- guarantee a professional approach in dealing with current events, as well as in collecting, drawing up and disseminating them.


THE SIGNATARIES UNDERTAKE THE COMMITMENT TO

Recognise the journalists' right to rely on the clause of conscience.

Respect the pluralism of opinions.

Reveal responsibility, fairness, accuracy and objectivity in reporting facts and events.

Identify, verify and double-check the source of information before disseminating it and spontaneously make the necessary corrections in case of ascertainment of errors.

Ban, in full respect of the freedom of expression, all forms of discrimination and incitement to violence, intolerance as well as to racial and religious hatred.

Abstain from any form of misinformation through omissions, editing or any other form of manipulation, especially by modifying written or audiovisual documents.

Explicitly inform the audience about any broadcast of fictions within news programmes in order to avoid any risk of misleading interpretations.

Promote, in their programmes, the dialectical debates and the confrontation of opinions on controversial issues.

Avoid any dissemination of information that might give rise to misunderstandings, confusion or manipulations.

Avoid any broadcasting of images and information liable to damage human dignity.

On 7th May 2005, on the occasion of the COPEAM 12th Conference in Seville, representatives from 21 broadcasting organizations from Mediterranean countries have signed the “Seville Charter”, the first document between broadcasters from the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean aimed to affirms the common values regarding the professional ethics.
The Seville Charter, presented by COPEAM, has been handed by the COPEAM President Habib Chawki Hamraoui the to the Spanish deputy Prime Minister, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega Sanz.
The document has been also handed to the EBU Secretary General, Jean Réveillon, and ASBU Director General, Abdelhafidh Harguem, to ensure its adoption by the greatest possible number of members from both organizations.
The first signatories of the Seville Charter are: COPEAM ; BEUR TV ; CyBC (Cyprus) ; ENRS & ENTV (Algeria); ERT (Greece); ERTU (Egypt); Euronews (Europe) ; France Télévision (France); HRT (Croatia); JRTV (Jordan); LJB (Libya); RAI (Italy); RTCG (Montenegro) ; RTM (Morocco); RTVE , RTVA & RTVV (Spain); RTSI (Swiss); RTVSLO (Slovenia); TVM (Mauritania); TVR (Romania); 2M (Morocco).

Rome (Italy), 12th July 2005
Mr. Remigio Ratti, Director of RTSI - Radio Televisione Svizzera Italiana has signed the Sevilla Charter.

Valencia (Spain), 6th February 2006
The Director General of the Valencia Radio-TV Group, Pedro García, has signed the Seville Charter, in presence of the President of the RTVV Board of Directors, Emilio Fernández, of the General Secretary of COPEAM, Alessandra Paradisi, and of the RTVV Councillor and President of COPEAM “Women” Group, Dolors López.

San Marino (Republic of San Marino), 6th April 2006
Mr Mangiafico, Director General of the Radio-TV of San Marino, Has signed the Sevilla Charter.

Palermo (Italy), 30th April 2006
During the XII General Assembly of COPEAM, Mr. Hassan Balawi, in charge of the Euro-Mediterranean Relations of PBC РPalestinian Broadcasting Corporation, has signed the Seville Charter, as well as Mrs Maria Toghina, President and Director General of SRR РSoci̩t̩ Roumaine de Radiodiffusion.
Finally, Mrs Loredana Cornero, Secretary General of the Comunità Radiotelevisiva Italofona has adhered to the Charter.

Amman (Dead Sea), Jordan, 22nd April 2007
During the XIII General Assembly of COPEAM, Mr. Mustapha Khammari, President of ERTT (Tunisian public TV), has signed the Seville Charter.

Rome, 15 June 2007
Mr. Albert Debono, Chief Executive of PBS – Public Broadcasting Services Ltd (Malta) has signed the Sevilla Charter.