SECTOR 1 Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 2.7 (2005: n/a; 2007: n/a; 2009: n/a; 2011: n/a) 1.4 The government makes every effort to honour regional and international instruments on freedom of expression and freedom of the media. “We sign all the right documents”, were the words of one panellist on this matter Namibia signed and ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 1992. Its Article 9 on freedom of expression states that: Every individual shall have the right to receive information. Every individual shall have the right to express and disseminate his opinion within the law. The Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa (2002) interprets the Articles above. Namibia further signed and ratified the 2001 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Culture, Information and Sports (which covers media freedoms), as well as a number of UN Conventions such as the one against corruption. Ratifying these documents obliges the country to align its media policies to the said documents. In terms of Article 144 of the Namibian Constitution, these signed/ratified regional and international instruments are all binding upon Namibia. Nevertheless, there are new pieces of legislation and existing legislation as listed under indicator 1.3 above that contradict these. “We’ve signed and we’ve ratified many of them but we haven’t actually made provisions for implementation.” AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NAMIBIA 2015 17