The United Nations(UN)’s World Press Freedom Day is annually observed across the globe on 3rd May to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom and to assess the state of press freedom throughout the world.
The day also defends the media from attacks on their independence and pays tribute to the journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
- The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2022 is “Journalism under digital siege”.
The 2022 theme highlights the ways in which journalism is endangered by surveillance and digitally-mediated attacks on journalists, as well as the consequences of all this on public trust in digital communications.
Background:
i.United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 26 C/Resolution 4.3 adopted during the UNESCO General Conference’s 26th Session held in Paris, France from 15th October to 7th November 1991, invited the Director-General to transmit the wish expressed by the UNESCO member states to declare 3rd May as “International Press Freedom Day”.
ii.In December 1993, The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) proclaimed 3rd May as World Press Freedom Day.
Why May 3?
May 3 marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a benchmark for ensuring press freedom around the world, adopted on 3rd May 1991.
World Press Freedom Day 2022 Global Conference:
UNESCO and the Republic of Uruguay are hosting the annual World Press Freedom Day Global Conference in a hybrid format in Punta Del Este, Uruguay from 2nd to 5th May 2022.
- The conference under the theme “Journalism under Digital Siege,” will discuss the digital era’s impact on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information and privacy.
- The global conference, annually organised since 1993, provides a platform for journalists, civil society representatives, national authorities, academics and the broader public to discuss emerging challenges to press freedom and journalists’ safety and to identify solutions.
2022 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
The Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) has been named the laureate of the 2022 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize (Press Freedom Prize 2022).
BAJ was recommended for the award by the International Jury of media professionals.
Press Freedom Prize 2022 award ceremony took place at the 2022 Global Conference on 2nd May 2022.
About the Prize:
i.The annual prize, created in 1997, recognises a person, organisation or institution that made an outstanding contribution to the defence and, or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world.
ii.The USD 25000 prize is named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, the Colombian journalist, who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in Bogotá, Colombia, on 17th December 1986.
iii.The Prize was established on the initiative of UNESCO’s Executive Board and the winner is selected by the Director-General of UNESCO on the basis of the assessments and recommendations by the jury.
iv.The prize is funded by: Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation (Colombia), the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Finland), the Namibia Media Trust, Democracy & Media Foundation Stichting Democratie & Media (The Netherlands), and the Thomson Reuters
