World Press Freedom Day

 The right to freedom of opinion and expression is closely linked to other human rights, such as the rights to privacy, freedom of association and assembly, and freedom of religion, among others. In addition to article 19 of the ICCPR and the UDHR , the right to freedom of expression is protected under: • Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) , articles 12 and 13 • Convention on Migrant Workers (CMW) , article 13 • Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) , article 15(3) • Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) , article 5 Key regional standards include: • African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights : article 9 • American Convention on Human Rights : article 13 • European Convention on Human Rights : article 10 • Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union : article 11.

 The right to access information is both the general right of the public to have access to information from a variety of sources and the right of the media to access information . International organizations are also bound by the right to access information.

 A free and uncensored press is essential to ensure freedom of opinion and expression. States should never penalize media outlets, publishers or journalists for reporting or disseminating critical views and dissenting opinions. States should also put in place laws that protect the diversity and plurality of the media, such as laws that prevent undue dominance by privately controlled media groups.