1 Introduction

1.1 The guidelines apply to all editorial staff contributing to the Human Rights Tribune. They should be aware of them and be committed to respecting them. 1.2 The guidelines have been drawn up with the agreement of all interested parties. 1.3 The editorial guidelines define HRT goals and policy and how they are to be applied.

2 Journalistic guidelines

2.1 HRT is an online news site that aims to give broad coverage of human rights issues. 2.2 HRT is targeting an international audience and its main languages are French and English.

3 General guidelines

3.1 Through its article selection and placement, its interviews and commentaries, HRT seeks to highlight the context and significance of issues relating to human rights. 3.2 HRT publishes information and opinion from a wide variety of sources provided that it respects and promotes human dignity in all its forms, cultural, social, economic and spiritual. 3.3 HRT is politically, economically and religiously independent. 3.4 The editorial staff will if necessary stand by opinions in an article by clearly highlighting the facts published in good faith. 3.5 HRT clearly separates the editorial section of the site from that which deals with marketing or sponsors. The site includes guidelines that its sponsors have signed up to. 3.6 HRT always indicates the sources for the articles published and clearly highlights the press releases and other information that come from the main players that it is in contact with. (NGOs, Countries, UN etc) 3.7 The editorial staff corrects any errors that are pointed out with a minimum of delay and publishes any right of reply.

4 Publisher

4.1 The press agency InfoSud publishes the French and English sites of HRT.

5 Editorial organisation

5.1 The publisher entrusts the senior editorial staff with the responsibility of choosing contributors, organising the work schedule, deciding on content and presentation of the site. 5.2 The senior editorial staff is made up of the chief editor and the web editor. 5.3 The editor in chief enjoys the necessary independence to apply the journalistic principles and policy lines defined in the guidelines.

6 Rights and responsibilities of the journalists and editorial contributors.

6.1 Journalists and editorial contributors commit to respecting the usual ethical standards relating to the media and particularly the “Declaration of rights and responsibilities of journalists” by the professional association “Impressum” as well as the instructions laid down by the Swiss Press Council. 6.2 The journalists are required to respect the general policy of the site as it is laid out in the current guidelines that they have agreed to. 6.3 A journalist can not be forced to publish under his byline an opinion that is at variance with his own. No journalist can stop an article that is at variance with his/her own opinion being published. 6.4 Journalists and editorial contributors are required to abide by journalistic confidentiality and forbidden to reveal to anyone, including legal authorities, the source of their information when it has been given to them confidentially. This holds good even if they cease to work for HRT. Neither the administrative personnel or other contributors to InfoSud have access to editorial files, except with the agreement of the editor in chief, the director of InfoSud and the journalist responsible for the file.

7 Information for the editorial team

7.1 Journalists and editorial contributors to the site are regularly informed about the progress of the publication. 7.2 Journalists and contributors that are informed or associated with any decision made by the editor and the editor in chief are required to maintain journalistic confidentiality as regards communicating this information outside HRT and InfoSud.

8 Right of reply

8.1 A demand for a right of reply relating to article 28, letters G to L of the Swiss Civil Code must be immediately communicated to the editor in chief. 8.2 If the request relates to an article, the editor in chief will consult the author of the relevant article. 8.3 If the request relates to sponsorship or advertising the editor in chief will consult the principal client. 8.4 In the event of a divergence of views between those concerned, the publisher has the final say.

9 Arrangements for implementation and revision

9.1 Each editor has a copy of the current guidelines. Every candidate for an editorial post must be aware of them before he or she is taken on. They are an integral part of his or her contract. Any revision will be subject to consultations.

10 Application

10.1 The current guidelines have been approved by the director of InfoSud in Geneva the 20 June 2008…. 10.2 It came into force on the same day

For Infosud: Daniel Wermus, Director

For the Human Rights Tribune: Carole Vann, editor in chief