We, the delegates to the Twelfth General Assembly of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), gathered here in Kuala Lumpur, taking cognisance of the current situation obtaining in the media in the Asia-Pacific region, with the rapid advances in the field of Information Communication Technology (ICT),

do hereby declare our collective commitment to

enhancing the journalistic professionalism of our media practitioners by holding steadfastly to the ethics and basic tenets of the profession;

taking full advantage of the developments in ICT to enhance the flow and exchange of news and information between and among member countries;

striving to make the news agencies of OANA member countries credible and authoritative sources of news and information;

promoting the sharing of expertise, experience and knowledge, including the training of journalists, among and between member agencies as well as assisting one another in trans-border coverage of events.

In furtherance of our efforts towards achieving the above stated objectives, we pledge to work closely with one another in implementing the guidelines of this declaration.

8 June 2004