Home ›› 03 May 2023 ›› Back
Bangladesh is observing the “World Press Freedom Day-2023” on Wednesday as elsewhere across the globe with the theme “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other Human Rights.”
This year, the event is marking its 30 years since the UN General Assembly’s decision proclaiming an international day for press freedom.
The 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day emphasises the crucial role of press freedom, and independent and diverse media, as fundamental to the enjoyment of all human rights.
To mark this day, UNESCO is organising a special anniversary event at the UN headquarters in New York Wednesday. Partners from the media, academia, and civil society are also organising events in New York and around the world centred on this year’s theme.
In addition to celebrating the World Press Freedom Day, the occasion will feature the presentation of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
This prestigious award is bestowed upon journalists who have made significant contributions to the field, particularly those who have endangered their lives to provide crucial information to the public.
Over the past 30 years, World Press Freedom Day celebrations have gone a journey, giving prominence to the right to free expression and emphasising various aspects of press freedom’s importance.
However, in the face of multiple crises, media freedom, journalist safety, freedom of expression, and other human rights are increasingly under attack.
World Press Freedom Day was officially declared on May 3, 1993, by the United Nations General Assembly, following a recommendation made in 1991 during the twenty-sixth general conference session of UNESCO.
The declaration was a response to the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, which was produced by African journalists who gathered to discuss press freedom at a seminar organised by UNESCO.
The Windhoek Declaration concluded on 3rd May, which later became the day designated to celebrate and support press freedom globally.
