The Board of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), meeting on 2 June 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand during the 65th World Newspaper Congress and 20th World Editors Forum, calls on the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Hon. David Cameron, to immediately withdraw the Government’s proposed Royal Charter on Self Regulation of the Press, given the negative effect it will have on the independent press in the United Kingdom and worldwide.

In addition to its direct impact on the vibrant independent media in the United Kingdom, any statutory regulation of the press will have a chilling effect on press freedom in other countries, particularly in those where oppressive regimes would be emboldened to use statutory regulation to silence independent voices or those critical of government.

The Board is seriously concerned that the UK government has ignored the numerous concerns raised by press freedom and human rights groups worldwide and risks abandoning more than 300 years of press freedom in the UK with its proposals that would replace a self regulatory system with one underscored by statutory regulation.

The Board welcomes the decision to allow more consultation on the Royal Charter, and recommends the government give full consideration to the alternative, industry-proposed Royal Charter for independent self-regulation of the press that has been formally submitted to the Privy Council Office by the Newspaper Society, the Newspaper Publishers Association, the Scottish Newspaper Society, and the Professional Publishers Association for the magazine industry.