World Press Freedom Day

  *All times are in Eastern Time (ET). AM LIVE SESSION: 30th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day Global Conference PM LIVE SESSION: 30th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day Global Conference. ABOUT THE DAY:  Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. The World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration.

  Organized by: International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), Permanent Delegation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations |  Location: Mission of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations. 10:00-11:30. Journalism on the Move: displaced media workers on the frontline of human rights’ defense

On World Press Freedom Day 2023 , UNESCO will organize a special anniversary event at United Nations headquarters in New York, marking the 30 years since the UN General Assembly’s decision proclaiming an international day for press freedom . This anniversary edition of World Press Freedom Day will include a full day of activities at the UN Headquarters on 2nd May. Partners from the media, academia, and civil society are invited to organize events in New York and around the world centered on this year’s theme: “ Shaping a Future of Rights – Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights. ” Columbia Global Freedom of Expression is organizing a series of side events, the day prior and the days after the United Nations Headquarter activities. Our program’s current agenda includes twelve side events, in collaboration with partner organizations, including UNESCO, Meta’s Oversight Board , the Thomson Reuters Foundation , the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute...

  When freedom of expression and media freedom are stifled, all of our freedoms are at risk. Freedom of expression, the free flow of information and press freedom are therefore preconditions for the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030: without them, we cannot eliminate poverty and hunger, preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable development, or build transparent institutions. They are indispensable in the fight for the rights of minorities and marginalized people, to combat all kinds of discrimination , to build diverse and inclusive civic spaces , and to uphold resilient democracies.

  In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 3 May as World Press Freedom Day . This proclamation marked the beginning of substantial progress towards enabling a free press and freedom of expression around the world – with the proliferation of independent media in many countries and the rise of digital technologies enabling the free flow of information online. Three decades have passed, with advancements in the respect for human rights and in related international frameworks. However, media freedom, safety of journalists and freedom of expression are increasingly under attack, which impacts the realization of other human rights. The international community faces multiple crises; conflicts and violence, persistent socio-economic inequalities driving migration, environmental crises and challenges to the health and wellbeing of people all around the world, while disinformation and misinformation online and offline proliferate with serious impact on the institutions...