MANAMA, June 16, 4:55 /ITAR-TASS/. The 37th session of the Executive Committee of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) opens in the capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain on Monday under the chairmanship of ITAR-TASS. The session will take place at the country's main business center Sofitel under the auspices of the Bahraiain New Agency (BNA) from June 16 to 17.
Within the scope of the session, representatives of major new agencies from more than 20 countries will hold a series of meetings. In particular, there will be a joint meeting of OANA and the Federation of Arab News Agencies (FANA). The news agencies' directors will focus on the problems of trans-media communications, as well as changes on the information market, and the role of the media in the light of globalization.
Those present will hear reports on prospects and basic principles for the development of the present-day mass media. Specialised technical committees will be at work parallel to the session. The main areas of the experts' work will be the elaboration and adoption of a common Work Code of the OANA member-agencies, including measures to uphold the rights and freedoms of journalists, and promote an objective coverage of events, particularly in countries with a complex situation.
A ceremony marking the opening of a photo exhibition of the best works of world news agencies will be held within the scope of the session.
A meeting between the delegates to the session and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, will be one of the central events.
BNA Director-General Mohannad Sulaiman Al-Nuaimi emphasized in an Itar-Tass interview, "The Kingdom of Bahrain, its leadership and the people support initiatives aimed at achieving peace and accord at regional and international levels. Our principal aim is to combine the efforts of all media to accomplish tasks facing all of us. In this respect, the OANA provides a unique opportunity for establishing such interaction. This meeting has been arranged with the backing of Russia, with which we are brought together by relations of friendship, and we intend to continue to develop them in all fields".
At the OANA General Assembly session in Moscow in September 2013, Itar-Tass was elected to preside over this world-stature organization for three years. Itar-Tass Director-General Sergei Mikhailov was elected to head the world's largest association of news organizations, and Itar-Tass First Deputy Director-General Mikhail Gusman was elected OANA's Secretary-General.
The Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies was founded on UNESCO's initiative in 1961. It was established with a view to actively advancing alternative points of view on global events and upholding the idea of a multi-polar world. OANA as the world's largest media organization comprises 44 news agencies from 35 countries: OANA member-countries account for two-thirds of the world's overall news flow.