World Press Freedom Day was established by the General Assembly
of the United Nations in December, 1993, as an outgrowth of
the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African
Press. This Seminar took place in Windhoek, Namibia, in 1991
and led to the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting
Independent and Pluralistic Media (www.misanet.org/charters/windhoek.html).
The Windhoek Declaration called for the establishment, maintenance
and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press
and emphasized the importance of a free press to the development
and maintenance of democracy in a nation, and for economic development.
World Press Freedom Day is celebrated annually on May 3rd, the
date on which the Windhoek Declaration was adopted.
Although World Press Freedom Day has only been celebrated since
1993, it has much deeper roots in the United Nations: Article
19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights states:
"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference
and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through
any media and regardless of frontiers" (www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm).
Throughout the world, May 3rd now serves as an occasion to
inform the public of violations of the right to freedom of expression
and as a reminder that many journalists brave death or jail
to bring people their daily news. According to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),
which coordinates activities each year on May 3rd, World Press
Freedom Day is:
· a day of action to encourage and develop initiatives
in favor of the freedom of the press;
· a day to assess the state of press freedom worldwide;
· a day to remind governments to respect their commitments
to press freedom;
· a day to alert the public and to increase awareness
of the importance of freedom of the press;
· a day of reflection to encourage debate among media
professionals on the issues of press freedom and professional
ethics;
· a day of remembrance for journalists who have lost
their lives in the exercise of their profession; and
· a day of support for media which fall victim to any
measures which restrain, or seek to abolish, freedom of the
press.
Press freedom is considered to be a cornerstone of human rights
and a guarantee of other freedoms. It encourages transparency
and good governance and it ensures that society enjoys the rule
of true justice. Freedom of the press is a bridge of understanding
and knowledge. It is essential for the exchange of ideas between
nations and cultures which is a condition for true understanding
and lasting cooperation.
