On 5 and 6 October 2023, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and the Ombudsman’s Office, and the Council of Europe in the framework of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers held and international conference on freedom of expression and the safety of journalists titled “The Pen is Mightier than the Sword? Meeting today’s challenges to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists”. The objective of the conference was in line with the priority of the Latvian Presidency – to strengthen freedom of expression and the safety of journalists.

In four panel discussion, the participants will addressed the current threats to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists and the challenges to journalism in times of war and crisis. They looked at legal limitations to freedom of expression in times of conflict, as well as discussed the ways to strengthen resilience to disinformation and the role of independent media in that process.