and […] in safeguarding human rights and fundamental freedoms”.215 In addition, they have reaffirmed the importance of independent media and committed themselves to taking all necessary steps to ensure that the basic conditions for a free and independent media are in place.216 153. In order for the media to fulfil its functions in a democratic society, the media environment should be pluralistic and open to the involvement of a range of actors in public debates and reporting. In this vein, the UN GA has acknowledged “that journalism is continuously evolving to include inputs from media institutions, private individuals and a range of organizations that seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, online as well as offline, […] thereby contributing to shape public debate”.217 Similarly, the UN Human Rights Committee has pointed out that “[j]ournalism is a function shared by a wide range of actors, including professional full-time reporters and analysts, as well as bloggers and others who engage in forms of self-publication in print, on the internet or elsewhere.”218 In order to safeguard and promote greater respect for human rights, the media environment should enable human rights defenders to access and participate in public debates, irrespective of whether they are professional journalists, otherwise engage in reporting on human rights issues or contribute to related public debates. This is also important with a view to strengthening the legitimacy and thus also the protection of human rights defenders. 154. Media laws, policies and practices should facilitate an open and pluralistic media system, and one which is conducive to the promotion of human rights, is accessible and contributes to the protection of human rights defenders. Media organizations should be encouraged to develop guidelines, codes of ethics or other standards and self-regulatory mechanisms to that effect. “The importance of effective self-regulatory mechanisms, such as press councils and ombudspersons”, as well as the need for such mechanisms to “be established in a consultative and inclusive process and (…) be independent from government interests”219 is generally acknowledged. Such self-regulatory measures should reflect the responsibility of the media in the field of the protection of human rights and of human rights defenders. 215  Moscow 1991, para. 26. In 1997, participating States decided to establish the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, recognizing the need to better protect freedom of expression and of the media and to strengthen the implementation of relevant OSCE principles and commitments in this field. See Decision No. 193 of the Permanent Council, 5 November 1997, “Establishment of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media”, Commitments: Freedom of the media, Freedom of expression, Free flow of information – 1975-2012, 2013, <http://www. osce.org/fom/99565?download=true>, p. 32. 216  Istanbul 1999, “Charter for European Security: III. Our Common Response”, para. 26. 217  See UNGA Resolution 68/163, “The safety of journalists and the issue of impunity”, UN Doc.­ A/RES/68/163, adopted on 18 December 2013, preamble. 218  UN Human Rights Committee, General Comment No. 34 on Article 19, para. 44. 219  “15th Central Asia Media Conference: Reflecting on OSCE media freedom commitments”, Bishkek, ­Kyrgyzstan, 27-28 June 2013, 15th Anniversary Declaration, para. 13, <http://www.osce.org/fom/104110>. 76 Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders