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Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023, marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day. Three decades have passed since the day was proclaimed in 1993.
The theme of the 2023 celebrations is; “Shaping a future of rights; Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights.”
The main purpose of this day Day is to raise awareness about the values of press freedom, its necessity of defending journalists’ rights, and the need to support independent, free media.
Following the recommendations of the General Conference of UNESCO, the day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. Since then, on 3rd May, the anniversaries of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.
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History of World Press Freedom Day.
World Press Freedom Day was first proclaimed by UNESCO in 1991 in response to the increasing number of attacks on journalists and media outlets around the world. In December 1993, World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference.
On December 20, 1993, UNGA declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day. The date was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of press freedom principles put across by African journalists in 1991.
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Significance of World Press Freedom Day.
May 3rd is a very important day for journalists around the world. The day is observed to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom and to defend the media from attacks on their independence. The day also pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives.
World Press Freedom Day 2023 insights.
UNESCO and New York will host the annual World Press Freedom Day Global Conference from May 2–5, 2023. It will focus on the digital era’s impact on freedom of expression, access to information and privacy, the safety of journalists, etc. To address these challenges, some concrete recommendations will also be developed.
The day will reunite the relevant stakeholders, including policymakers, journalists, media representatives, activists, cybersecurity managers, and legal experts, to explore these issues and develop concrete solutions so that the threats posed by increased surveillance to press freedom and privacy can be addressed.
[…] IT IS WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY! – May 3rd. […]