The Gulf Press Association (GPA) on Wednesday inaugurated its first conference under the patronage of Sheikha May Al-Khalifa, Bahraini Minister of Culture and Information, and in the presence of journalists, ministers and ambassadors and representatives from GCC countries and Yemen. The meeting at Bahrain's Diplomat Hotel is regarded as the most important since the establishment of the GPA in 2005. Nasser Al-Othman, Secretary General of the GPA, said the conference would approve the draft strategy to improve the journalistic profession in GPA member states, with its measures to consolidate ties between the peoples of GCC countries and national press laws in member countries whose press organizations come under the GPA. Al-Othman added that the vision for improvement was based on international charters endorsed by member countries under the GPA in the fields of intercommunication, information, human rights and civil and political rights. The gathering also discussed the GPA draft work plan for 2010, which includes the organization of workshops and training courses for journalists, publishing a news periodical on GPA events, and other activities. The meeting was attended by a large number of members and representatives of international organizations such as the Arab Press Federation and Dubai Press Club, and over 60 editors-in-chief of newspapers and presidents of GGC and Yemeni press associations and unions, as well as ambassadors, ministers and media personalities. Sheikha May Al-Khalifa said that the conference had proposed establishing a “Bahrain Award for Journalistic Freedom” open to Arab and Gulf countries. Details of the award are to be announced in December. “Journalistic freedom entails responsibility, and if journalists are unaware of the results of what they write then it shows that they are not aware of the tools of freedom and its responsibility,” she said. “We suffer unfortunately in the Gulf from journalists who are not of the required standard,” she added. “Arab journalism is controlled by ‘five governments' constituted by tribal, sectarian and party political differences which are of no benefit to anybody,” said Turki Al-Sudeiri, head of the Gulf Journalism Union. Among the participants were Fahd Aal Aqran, editor-in-chief of Al-Madina newspaper in Saudi Arabia; Nasr Taha Mustafa, editor-in-chief of the Yemeni Al-Siyasah newspaper; Ibrahim Bashmi, editor-in-chief of the Bahraini Al-Waqt newspaper; Sami Al-Riyami, editor-in-chief of the UAE's Al-Emarat Al-Yaum newspaper, and Adnan Al-Rashed, deputy editor-in-chief of the Kuwaiti Al
