World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993

World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) is an annual celebration of press freedom, observed on May 3 whose main celebration is organized by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

It serves as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991 (UNESCO 26 C/Resolution 4.3).

UNESCO and the Government of Namibia will host the World Press Freedom Day Global Conference in Windhoek from April 29 through May 3, Press Freedom Day. The laureate of the 2021 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize will be honored during the conference, on May 2.

Professional journalists and other media stakeholders at the Conference will call for urgent measures to counter the threats that are weakening independent and local news media around the world, a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. They will put forward solutions to bolster media viability, push for greater transparency from social media companies, and measures to improve the safety of journalists and support independent media. Participants are also expected to urge governments to invest in media and information literacy training to help people recognize, value, and defend fact-based journalism as an essential part of information as a public good.

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  • World Press Freedom Day: Shutterstock