Vienna - The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI) and the Salzburg Center for International Legal Studies (CILS) announced on Wednesday they will hold an international conference, "The War on Words - Terrorism, Media and the Law" in Vienna on October 5 and 6.
The two-day conference would bring together leading journalists, lawyers, human rights advocates, and security and counter-terrorism experts from Europe, North America, Asia and Africa to discuss the impact of the fight against terrorism on civil liberties, in particular freedom of expression and press freedom.
Panel sessions would focus on government efforts to broaden their law enforcement powers in the name of security, the watchdog role of the media, and the relationship between freedom of expression and religious tolerance.
"This conference will provide a welcome forum to discuss the complexities of the fight against terrorism and the effects on media freedom," said conference coordinator Michael Kudlak.
Questions raised would include whether attempts by western governments to broaden their law enforcement powers in the name of security had curtailed civil liberties and muzzled the media.
It would also be deliberated whether they had thereby set a negative example for autocratic regimes, and whether anti-terror measures affected the ability of the media to carry out its watchdog role.
Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), among others, the conference would be held at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna.
