Strasbourg, 08/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - Under attack from the International Federation for Human Rights for its draft convention on preventing terrorism (EUROPE yesterday, p 18), the Council of Europe has created a diversion with a press statement on a declaration on the media and the fight against terrorism, which the Committee of Ministers has just adopted. In this declaration, the Committee of Ministers points out that the freedom of expression is precisely one of the pillars of a democratic society that the terrorists are seeking to destroy. It is in fact an efficient means for promoting understanding and tolerance and subsequently helping to prevent the causes behind terrorism. While pointing out to journalists and media professionals their specific responsibilities in the context of the fight against terrorism, the Committee of Ministers also calls on the public authorities in the 46 Member States to ensure journalists' access to information and to respect their right to not reveal their sources of information, as well as ensuring strict respect for the editorial independence of the media. (The text is available at: http://www.coe.int ).