May 3rd marks International Press Freedom Day and a conference to commemorate this day was sponsored by UNESCO and the Ministry of Mass Media and Information of Sri Lanka. The World Bank’s Daniel Kaufmann, Director of Global Programs and Governance at the World Bank Institute, was at the conference and highlighted the Bank’s position on governance and press freedom. May 3, 2006—For Daniel Kaufmann, the effects of poor governance and corruption go far beyond just being a severe impediment to the effective use of aid. For Kaufmann, it means, it’s people who are most affected. “It translates into children being denied the education they need - mothers denied the health care they deserve - and countries denied the institutions needed to deliver real results,” Kaufmann says. “The Bank has taken steps to raise awareness about the issue, conducting research, developing instruments to diagnose corruption, delivering training programs for government officials and civil society, and working directly on governance issues with selected countries upon request.” Most recently, the Bank has focused on the importance of access to information and developing a freer media as a key way to achieve good governance and ultimately ensure that aid is delivered effectively to the people who need it the most – the world’s poor. The power of data Kaufmann says the Bank is supporting initiatives to collect information on and assess the current state of the media, with an eye to sharing the information with clients around the world. This includes, for example, the development of country-level and internationally comparable indicators of media freedom and governance. Kaufmann says while much of the data is available, it has not been widely publicized. The data needs to be extensive – including accurate information on real media ownership. Kaufmann suggests there is a need to carry out assessment on the political environments within countries; such as whether countries have freedom of expression. Other facts which can help determine the effectiveness and viability of a free and open media include the legal and regulatory framework within coountries and the extent of competition.
A Vital Partner “The media is an important partner in our governance, anticorruption, and poverty alleviation efforts and are included at the early stages of project work in countries and in poverty reduction strategies, “Kaufmann says. “We are providing support to nascent media in fragile states,” he says. “And in countries implementing freedom and access to information acts such as Mexico, and we are sharing good policy practices for building competitive media and telecommunication sectors, with more limited state interference.” |
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