Freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, are effectively protected and promoted. 1.1 Freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, is guaranteed in the constitution and supported by other pieces of legislation. Freedom of expression, including freedom of the media, is clearly protected by the Constitution of Guinea which, in its preamble, proclaims its “adherence to the ideals and principles, rights and duties established in the United Nations Charter, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Conventions and Pacts bearing on Human Rights, the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and its Additional Protocols bearing on the Rights of Women, as well as the revised ECOWAS Treaty and its Protocols on Democracy and Good Governance.” In its article 7(4) the constitution stipulates that “press freedom shall be guaranteed and protected. The creation of a press or media house for the dissemination of political, economic, social, cultural, sporting, recreational or scientific information shall be free.” However, article 24 places certain restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression. Such restrictions must only be implemented to ensure “the maintenance of public order and the defence of democracy”. This is a clear reference to article 2 of the Declaration of Principles on the Freedom of Expression in Africa2. Panelists highlighted the explicit reference to the guarantee and protection of press freedom in article 7 as a new provision in the Guinean Constitution. During the transition period (2008-2010) the two main media laws that had been in force since 1991 were revised and new laws promulgated, especially Law 002, which grants press freedom3, and Law 003, which creates the High Communication Authority (Haute Autorité de la Communication, HAC)4. The law granting free access to public information was also adopted by the transitional parliament and promulgated in November 2010. 2 “Any restrictions of freedom of expression shall be provided by law, serve a legitimate interest and be necessary in a democratic society. ” [Article 2 (2)] 3 Law/2010/002/CNT of 22 June 2010 4 Law/2010/03/CNT of 22 June 2010 76 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER GUINEA 2011