Niger 2010 Constitution (reviewed 2017) - Page 9 of 14

Table of Contents

TITLE VIII. Of the Superior Council of Communication [Conseil Supérieur de la Communication (CSC)]

Article 156

The Superior Council of Communication is an independent administrative authority.

Article 157

The Council has as [its] mission to assure and guarantee the freedom and the independence of the means of the audiovisual communication, from the written and electronic press within the respect for the law.

As such [à ce titre], it sees to:

the respect for the mission of public service conferred on the medias of the State;

the respect for ethics [déontologie] in matters of information and communication:

the respect for the equitable and effective access of the citizens, the associations and the political parties to the public means of information and communication;

the respect for the regulations in force in communication and exploitation;

the respect for the statutes of the professionals of communication;

the respect for the plurality of opinions in the public and private media;

the promotion and to the development of the technology of information and of communication;

the training of the personnel, to their professionalization and to the reinforcement of their capacities;

the control of the content and modalities of the programming of the emissions of publicity diffused by the public, private, communitarian and associative networks [chaînes] of radio and television;

the protection of childhood and adolescence in the programming of the emissions diffused by the public and private companies of audiovisual communication;

the promotion of sport and Nigerien culture in the programming of the emissions diffused by the public and private companies of audiovisual communication.

Article 158

Audiovisual, written, [and] electronic communication as well as printing and diffusion are free, subject to the respect for the public order, of freedom and of the dignity of the citizens.

The medias of the State are public services to which access is guaranteed, in an equitable and effective manner to all in the conditions specified by the law.

They have the obligation to favor the democratic debate and to promote the fundamental human rights, the languages and the national sports and cultural products, the national unity, tolerance and solidarity, peace and security, between the different communities, as well as the fight against all forms of discrimination.

The statute of the medias of the State is established by a law that guarantees the objectivity, the impartiality and the pluralism of opinions in the treatment and diffusion of the information.

The private medias are medias of public utility. As such, they are submitted to the same obligations as the medias of the State as specified in paragraph 3 of this Article.

Article 159

The Superior Council of Communication is directed by a bureau. The Councilors elect among themselves one (1) President, one (1) Vice President and two (2) reporters [rapporteurs]. Only the bureau is permanent.

Article 160

The members of the Superior Council of Communication must have proven competence, notably in the domain of communication, of public administration, of science, of law [droit], of culture and of the arts.

They must have a professional experience of at least ten (10) years and be aged thirty-five (35) years at least.

Article 161

The Superior Council of Communication is composed of fifteen (15) members as it follows:

one (1) notable person [personnalité] proposed by the President of the Republic;

one (1) notable person proposed by the President of the National Assembly;

one (1) notable person proposed by the Prime Minister;

three (3) representatives elected by the socio-professional organizations of the medias of the private sector including, at least, one woman;

three (3) representatives elected by the trade-union [syndicales] organizations of workers of the medias of the public sector including [dont] a journalist, a producer and a technician with at least one woman;

one (1) representative elected by the trade-union organizations of workers of the telecommunications sector;

one (1) representative elected by the associations for the defense of the rights of man and promotion of democracy;

one (1) representative elected by the collective of the women organizations;

one (1) representative elected by the agencies and bureaus of communication and publicity;

one (1) representative elected by the cultural creators;

one (1) representative elected by the printers and publishers.

Article 162

The duration of the mandate of the members of the Supreme Council of Communication is five (5) year non-renewable. In case of death, resignation or exclusion of a member, he is replaced in the same conditions for the rest of the mandate.