SECTOR 1 1.4 The government makes every effort to honour national and international instruments on freedom of expression and freedom of the media Madagascar has ratified most regional and international instruments on freedom of expression and freedom of the press, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which clearly states in article 9 that everyone “has the right to information” and “to express and disseminate his or her opinions within the framework of laws and regulations”. The domestication of these instruments has been carried out in the national legislation, but panellists feel that the administration does not necessarily honour the implementation thereof. 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: Score of previous years: ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ 2.3 2006: n/a; 2008: n/a; 2010: 2.4; 2012: 2; 2016: 2.7 1.5 Print publications are not required to obtain permission to publish from state authorities No prior authorisation is required to create a newspaper, except a mandatory declaration to the Public Prosecutor which needs to include details of the publication’s management, the technical data sheet and the identity of the editorin-chief. Legal deposit has been transferred to the Ministry of Communication and Culture, as an archive, and no longer to the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation because of the prohibition of any form of censorship.10 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: Score of previous years: 15 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER MADAGASCAR 2019 ✓ ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓ 4 .9 2006: n/a; 2008: n/a; 2010: 5; 2012: 2.1; 2016: 4.6