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 evaluate press freedom worldwide.
- 3rd May 2024 marks the 31st anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.
The celebration of World Press Freedom Day is led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Theme:
The 2024 World Press Freedom Day events were organised under the theme, “A Press for the Planet: Journalism is the Face of the environmental crisis.”
Background:
i.In 1991, UNESCO during its 26th General Conference recommended the observance of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May every year.
ii.Following the recommendation, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed the day in 1993.
iii.The 1st World Press Freedom Day was observed on 3 May 1994.
Why May 3?
The day commemorates the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, promoting an independent and pluralistic African Press held in Windhoek, Namibia, from 29 April to 3 May 1991.
Significance:
i.This Day aims to support media workers facing threats to press freedom and pay tribute to the journalists who lost their lives in pursuit of stories.
ii.The observance serve as a platform to recall the Santiago Declaration adopted during the “Seminar on the Development of Media and Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean” on 6th May 1994.
- The declaration emphasizes the crucial role of media pluralism and the significance of embracing cultural, linguistic, and gender diversity within media platforms.
2024 Events:
i.From 2 – 4 May 2024, the Government of Chile and UNESCO host the 31st World Press Freedom Day Conference under the theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis” at the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral in Santiago, Chile.
ii.The South Asian region commemorated World Press Freedom Day 2024, with events organised by UNESCO in collaboration with Transparency International, Bangladesh, and ARTICLE19 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Note: Over 40 side events have been organized by UNESCO and its partners from 2-4 May 2024.
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2024:
The Palestinian journalist covering Gaza have been named the laureates of the 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, following the recommendation of an International Jury of media professionals.
- The Award Ceremony was held on 2 May 2024 during the World Press Freedom Conference in Santiago, Chile.
- Around 26 journalists and media workers have lost their lives in the line of work since October 7, 2023. UNESCO is actively reviewing numerous other cases.
- The award includes a monetary prize of USD 25,000.
About the Prize:
i.The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was established in 1997 is awarded annually to recognize and honour the contributions of journalists, particularly those who risk their lives to provide essential information to the public.
ii.The Prize was established on the initiative of UNESCO’s Executive Board and is formally conferred by UNESCO, on World Press Freedom Day (3 May).
iii.The prize is named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was tragically assassinated in front of his newspaper’s offices, El Espectador, in Bogotá in 1986.
- It is the sole prize for journalists within the UN System.
Sponsors of the Prize: Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation (Colombia); Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Finland); Namibia Media Trust, Democracy & Media Foundation Stichting Democratie & Media (The Netherlands); and Thomson Reuters Foundation.
