Mi save se tis yia, United Nation i wantem yusum occasion ya blong tingbaot safety mo impunity blong ol journalist. Be semtaem, Theme ya i mekem plante sense, taem yumi tekem ikam long context blong Vanuatu from hemi folem stret plante wok we yufala long media ibin stap mekem, mo commitment blong Gavman, tru long enactment blong RTI law blong Vanuatu.

Media long Vanuatu ikam along way, mo naoia hemi stap divelop mo istap grow yet. Bifo, media long Vanuatu I facem plante difren challenge from outside and from within the media itself. Tedei tu, plante issues we I affektem media long sam nara kaontri, ino kasem yumi, olsem man I kilim ded journalist from wan nius we ino hapi long hem.

Yumi stap experiencem ol changes finis. Exampol, yumi stap muv aot long traditional igo long digital media long TV, online news etc. Ikat plante moa pipol igo kasem infomesen long social media. Pipol I yusum redio talk-back-show, mo Yumi Toktok Stret Facebook blong askem question mo kasem infomasen long wanem oli no bin save bifo. Be, semtaem yumi mas careful from developmen olsem ikam wetem sam risk we yumi no mas overlukim. . Long saet ya, Media I mas putum in-place wan internal process blong deal wetem ol risk ya.

Vanuatu Gavman, tru long RTI, hemi encouragem openness mo freedom blong kasem infomesen long Gavman. Yumi wantem ronwe long kaen we VBTC igo jajem bakegen Television Blong Vanuatu, tru long Pay-TV program blong hem. Samting ya i agensem principle blong RTI. Ino gud se Gavman istap mekem wan samting afta media istap mekem nara samting. Ol policy blong Gavman oli stap blong helpem Gavman mo ol pipol. Yumi ol pipol, includim media i mas promotem ol gud policies ya. Ol principles mo ethics blong media must be maintained at all times, blong upholdem professionalism mo integrity blong individual media practitioner mo media organisation blong yu.

While ol opportunities, anda long democratic principles istap long foret blong yumi, media ino mas abusum or tekem advantage long hem blong disrespectem raet blong naraman blong kasem informasen long wan seves we Gavman I givim mane blong hem, blong entertainem, educate mo infomem ol pipol long ol seves or development we hemi stap karem aot.

Madam President blong MAV, hemi gud blong save se tis yia selebration blong World Media Freedom Day long Vanuatu i blong tingbaot achievement blong Vanuatu, tru long Gavman wetem ol pattners blong hem olsem Media, mo civil society groups, tru long adoption blong RTI law.

Local theme ya se “OPENEM ROD BLONG OLI SAVE KASEM INFOMESEN MO BLONG OLI SAVE TOKTOK” hemi stret, from i haelaetem stamba tingting blong RTI Policy blong Gavman.

Naoia we yumi olsem wan nation istap muv igo blong open-ap long wol tru long trade, investment, mo economic development, yumi mas mekem sua tu se evri citizen oli save benefit long ol divelopmen ya. Yumi mas mekem tru long wan fasen we i rispectem raet blong every citizen olsem we Mama Loa i talem, mo olsem we ol International Convention we yumi saenem, oli talem. Right To Information Policy mo newfala RTI law bae i helpem yumi blong kasem ol tingting ya.

Tru long policy ya nao, Gavman istap putum in-place ol changes long ol Gavman practice, mo tu ol changes long ol rod blong wok wetem civil society. Gavman I bilif se rod ya nao bae i givim very positive benefit long everiwan.

Tedei ya mi kam stanap long foret blong everyone blong reasurum yufala long media mo sivil society se Coalition Gavman blong Praem Minista Charlot Salwai naoia ikam wan “Open Gavman”. Gavman ya i layem out ol institutional structure finis, olsem pat blong implementation phase blong exercisem openness ya.

Vanuatu Gavman :

• ibin sitemap finis Right To Information Unit under long DSPPAC;

• ibin allocatem wan budget blong givhan long Unit I coordinatem implementation blong RTI;

• ibin appointem finis wan national committi blong drowem-ap wan records policy blong helpem Gavman I manajem gud on records mo infomesen blong Gavman;

• Mo ino longtaem bae i mekem wan fomal appointmen blong RTI Steering Committee.

• Mo tu se Gavman i stap tokbaot tu, issue blong setemap wan ofis blong RTI Commissioner, blong lukluk long complain blong any citizen we ino save kasem infomesen we hemi wantem.

Wetem Toktok ya, mi wantem appeal igo long ol sinia ofisa blong Gavman blong oli mas wok tugeta wetem Right To Information Unit, blong mekem sua se oli kat necesari procedure in-place long respective offices blong olgeta, blong save implementem RTI Law.

Long yumi ol citizens, hemi important blong tekem note se naoia we Gavman i stap putum ol structure in-place, ol memba blong pablik ino save yusum loa ya yet kasem taem Prime Minister i mekem fes Order bifo namba 6 August, blong talem which Gavman dipatment nao, yumi save go askem infomesen long hem.

Blong finis, Mi wantem assurem yufala se gavman ya bambae i gohed blong wok tugeta wetem yufala long media mo ol stakeholders blong ensure ol principle blong democracy i laef, mo raet blong accessem information long Gavman records hemi come into force mo i prevail.

“Long Live Freedom blong Information!” Thank yu blong listen".