World Press Freedom DayUNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

A CELEBRATION OFPRESS FREEDOM

People outside Balai Sidang Jakarta Convention Centre, venue for the World Press Freedom Day 2017 International Conference. Photo credit: © UNESCO

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY An overview

Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom. It serves as an occasion to evaluate press freedom around the world, defend the media from attacks on their independence and

pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. WorldPressFreedomDay(WPFD)isaflagshipawareness-raisingeventonfreedomofexpression,andin particular press freedom and the safety of journalists. Since1993,UNESCOleadstheglobalcelebrationwithamaineventinadifferentcountryeveryyear,organizedtogetherwiththehostgovernmentandvariouspartnersworkinginthefieldoffreedomofexpression. Thismain event offers a rare opportunity forhundreds of representatives of the media, civil society, law and policy makers, human rights defenders, UNagenciesandacademicstonetworkandexplorenewideas and issues. It serves as a platform to discuss latestdevelopmentsandchallengesregardingfreedomof expression and press freedom. Globally, some 100 national events complement the main celebration each year. In 2018, Ghana will host the main globalcelebrationofWPFD,whichwillbeorganizedinAccraon3-4May.Theglobalthemeforthe2018celebrationis Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule

of Law. TheDay inAccra will feature vibrant debateand discussion about the interplay between media, the political process and the judicial system as well as issues such as transparency of the political system, independence and media literacy of the judiciary, and the accountability of state institutions towards the public. In 2017, the main conference of WPFD was held inJakarta,IndonesiaundertheglobalthemeofCritical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Organized byUNESCO, the Government of Indonesia and the Indonesian Press Council, the event gathered 1,500participantsfromover90countrieswhoscrutinizedanddebatedthechallengesfacingmediaaroundtheworldsuch as “fake news”, the increase in attacks againstjournalists,genderequalityandviolentextremism. The Day also serves as an occasion for the Organization to award each year the UNESCO/GuillermoCanoWorldPressFreedomPrizetoaperson,organizationorinstitutionthathasmadeanoutstandingcontribution to the defence and promotion of press freedom. This Prize is one of the most prestigiousinternational awards in this area.

World Press Freedom Day 2016 celebration in Zimbabwe. Photo credit: © UNESCO

ABOUTTHE DAYUNESCO’s mandate to promote the free flow of ideas

The United Nations Educational, ScientificandCulturalOrganization(UNESCO)istheUnitedNationsspecializedagencywith themandate to promote and defend freedom of expression as well as its corollary, freedom

ofthepress.UNESCO’sConstitutionadoptedin1945callson theorganization to foster “the freeexchangeofideasandknowledge”andthe“freeflowofideasbywordandimage.” Today, this imperative remains as relevant asever.UNESCO iscommitted to raisingawarenessamongMemberStates,civilsocietyandotherpartnerson issues of freedom of expression both online and offline; to promoting the safety of journalists; and tosupporting governments to act on attacks againstjournaliststopreventacultureofimpunityfromtakingroot.TheOrganizationalsopromotesqualityjournalismthrough the strengthening of professional and ethicalstandards, as well as providing advisory services onmedialegislationincludingfreedomofinformationlaws. For UNESCO, press freedom concerns not only themedia.Today,itisalsotherightofeachindividualto impart information to the public. It also impacts on each individual’s right to freedom of information andtheir ability to both access information and express themselves, whether through journalism, art or othergenreswithoutfearfortheirsafetyindoingso.

Origins of the Day

World Press Freedom Day, celebrated every 3 May, is UNESCO’s flagship programme to drawattention to freedom of expression and press freedom

asfundamentalhumanrights forall.TheannualdatewasproclaimedbytheUNGeneralAssemblyin1993following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. The origins of the Day lie in the WindhoekDeclarationsignedbyagroupofAfricanjournalistswhogatheredat aUNESCOseminar titled “PromotinganIndependent and Pluralistic African Media” that washeldinWindhoek,Namibiafrom29Aprilto3May1991.

Media campaign for World Press Freedom Day 2013. Photo credit: © UNESCO

“We journalists are the pillars of reform, of

freedom, of democracy and we are the

champions of people who have no voice.”

Christiane AmanpourCNN Chief International Correspondent and

UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression and Journalist Safety

Accra, Ghana2018

BelgradeSerbia and Montenegro

2004

Dakar, Senegal2005

Colombo, Sri Lanka2006

Maputo, Mozambique2008

Doha, Qatar2009

Brisbane, Australia2010

Jakarta, Indonesia2017

UNESCO Headquarters1993-1996; 2014

Bogota, Colombia1999

Geneva, Switzerland2000

Manila, Philippines2002

Windhoek DeclarationNamibia, 1991

Washington D.C., USA2011

Kingston, Jamaica2003

San José, Costa Rica2013

Medellin, Colombia2007

Windhoek, Namibia2001

Tunis, Tunisia2012

Riga, Latvia2015

London, United Kingdom1998

Helsinki, Finland2016

Bilbao, Spain1997

Toserveasanoccasiontoinformcitizensofviolationsofpressfreedom-areminderthataroundtheworld,media,includingonline media, are censored, suspended, blocked, and closed down, while journalists, editors and media workers are harassed, fined,attacked,jailed,andevenmurdered.

To encourage and develop initiatives in favour of pressfreedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.

To serve as a reminder to governments of the need torespect the right to freedom of expression, press freedom andaccess to information. This is key if societies want to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 16.10 - Public access to information and fundamental freedoms

Tobeadayofreflectionamongmediaprofessionalsaboutissues of press freedom and professional ethics.

Tobeadayofsupport for journalistswhoaretargetsofattacks, harassment or arbitrary detention for exercising pressfreedom.

It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

The celebration of World Press Freedom Day further affirms the idea of freedom of expression and freedom ofinformationas fundamentalhumanrights,asstated inArticle19ofthe1948UniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,whichreads:“Everyonehastherighttofreedomofopinionandexpression;thisrightincludesfreedomtoholdopinionswithoutinterferenceandtoseek,receiveandimpartinformationandideasthroughanymediaandregardlessoffrontiers.”ItisarightelaboratedinArticle19oftheInternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights(ICCPR)aswellasinthethreeregionalhumanrightstreatiesthatareArticle10oftheEuropeanConventiononHumanRights(ECHR),Article13oftheAmericanConventiononHumanRights,andArticle9oftheAfricanCharteronHumanandPeoples’Rights.

Key Functions of World PressFreedom Day

Accra, Ghana2018

BelgradeSerbia and Montenegro

2004

Dakar, Senegal2005

Colombo, Sri Lanka2006

Maputo, Mozambique2008

Doha, Qatar2009

Brisbane, Australia2010

Jakarta, Indonesia2017

UNESCO Headquarters1993-1996; 2014

Bogota, Colombia1999

Geneva, Switzerland2000

Manila, Philippines2002

Windhoek DeclarationNamibia, 1991

Washington D.C., USA2011

Kingston, Jamaica2003

San José, Costa Rica2013

Medellin, Colombia2007

Windhoek, Namibia2001

Tunis, Tunisia2012

Riga, Latvia2015

London, United Kingdom1998

Helsinki, Finland2016

Bilbao, Spain1997

FLAGSHIP CONFERENCES ON WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY AROUND THE WORLD

x

In thepast25yearsUNESCOhasusedWPFDasanopportunity tospotlight theroleof thepressandfreedomofexpression inthepromotionofdialogue,development, and democracy. The themes were selected usually in response to current world

developments,includingchangesinthemedialandscapesuchas the riseof the Internetandofusergeneratedcontentviasocialmedia,orshiftingpoliticallandscapessuch as the so-called “Arab Spring”. The theme setsthe focus for the many commemorations of the Day worldwide. The following are examples of the themesthatUNESCOhaschosentohighlightovertheyears:

• Media in Violent Conflict and Countries in Transition (2000, 2002, 2004)

• Media and Good Governance (2005)

• Media, Development and Poverty Eradication (2006)

• Freedom of Information and Empowerment of People (2008, 2011, 2016)

• Media, Dialogue and Mutual Understanding (2009)

• 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers, New Voices (2011, 2012)

• Safety of Journalists and Impunity (2003, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2016)

• Gender and Media (2015)

• Media and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)

The issue of safety of journalists, media workers, and social media producers has been a recurringthemeatWorldPressFreedomDaybearingin mind that more than 800 journalists have lost their livesinthepastdecadealone.Onaverage,everyfourdaysajournalistiskilledforbringinginformationtothepublic. Whileconstituting themostseriousattackonpressfreedom,thekillingofjournalistsisjustthetipofaniceberg.Mediaprofessionalsregularly facenumerousother threats including intimidation, kidnappings,enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, torture, harassment and physical assault. Furthermore, in nine outoftencasesofkillingsofjournaliststheperpetratorsofthecrimesgounprosecuted. With a special focus on Media, Justice and the Rule of Law, World Press Freedom Day 2018 inAccra will highlight the importance of an enablinglegalenvironmentforpressfreedom,andgivespecialattention to the role of an independent judiciary, fully capacitatedinregardtofreedomofexpressionissues,inensuringlegalguaranteesforpressfreedomandtheprosecutionofcrimesagainstjournalists.

“If opinions are right or wrong is not the

issue; the issue is whether or not we are free to express them.”

Cheng Yhizong2005 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

Facebook Live interview with a speaker at World Press Freedom Day 2017 in Jakarta. Photo credit: © UNESCO

OVER THE YEARS:World Press Freedom Day themes(1994-2018)

WPFD 2017IN NUMBERS

33

1500

46

3 3

4

155

events organized at WPFD main event, including pre-events,

plenary and parallel sessions, and an Academic Conference

on the Safety of Journalists

Over

cartoonists engaged to depict

the gist of the discussions

through press cartoons

participants from over 90 countries

young journalists from all corners of the world collaborated in Youth

Newsroom

main visibility campaigns, including a partnership

with the international organization

Cartooning for Peace

national celebrations organized around the

world

media partner

organizations

including Al

Jazeera, El Pais,

Rappler and Inter

Press Service.

speakers

Photo credit: © UNESCO Photo credit: © Voice of Millennials

Photo credit: © UNESCO

Photo credit: © UNESCO

Photo credit: © UNESCO

Photo credit: © Albizia Akbar

100Over

Photo credit: © UNESCO

Handing over of Indonesia’s Garuda bird statue to UNESCO. Frank La Rue, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO (left). Rudiantara, Minister of Communication and Information Technology of Indonesia (right). Photo credit: © Voice of MillenialsUNESCO

PARTNERSWithin the UN family, UNESCO has a

long-standing traditionofmonitoringand raising awareness about thestatus of freedom of expression, freedom of information, and press

freedom worldwide. UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector implements the Organization’s1945 constitutional mandate to promote the “freeflow of ideas by word and image.” Its rights-basedfoundations provide context to UNESCO’s approach tomediadevelopmentasbeinginseparablefromtheuniversalrighttofreedomofexpression.Theyfurtherunderpin the UNESCO perspective that this bundle of rightsapplies toallmediaandacrossall frontiers. Aspartofthe“OneUN”philosophy,UNESCOalso has a strong record of working in tandemwithother UN agencies and mechanisms. UNESCOhas spearheaded and coordinates the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issueof Impunity, which was endorsed by the UN Chief Executives Board in April 2012. The UN Plan ofActionisnowaglobalreferencepointintheareasofthesafetyofjournalistsandthefightagainstimpunityfor crimes committed against them. It has beenreferencedinresolutionsoftheUNGeneralAssembly,UNESCO and the UN Human Rights Council. UNESCO has a proven track record in fostering dialogue on media, freedom of expressionand freedom of information legislative reformbetween policymakers, civil society organizations,media development groups, media, and other

key actors worldwide as well as in supporting thedevelopment of the institutional and human capacities necessary for legislation’s effective implementation.UNESCO coordinates World Press Freedom Day based on close cooperation with its partners.

Over the last years, UNESCO has cooperated withawide rangeof local and international partnersin the organization and implementation ofWPFD. In2017, the global event in Jakarta was organized inconjunction with 32 partners, representing amongothers,mediadevelopmentorganizations,universities,embassiesandgovernments, internet intermediaries,journalist unions and international media outlets. Thesepartnershipsofferauniqueopportunityto connect andmeetwith the leading experts of theworldinthefieldofjournalism,freedomofexpressionand freedom of information as well as high-levelrepresentativesfromgovernments,intergovernmentalorganizations, media houses, and civil society. As the largest celebration of press freedomin theworld,WPFD has a global reach and next tothe main event, around 100 national festivities take placeeveryyear.Thelogoofpartners isprominentlyfeatured in all publicity materials for WPFD as well as in socialmediaoutreacheffortsandontheofficialeventwebsite.Officialpartnerscanalsouse theUNESCOWorldPressFreedomDaylogoforallrelatedactivities.

ROLE OFUNESCO & PARTNERS

The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano WorldPress Freedom Prize, whose twentiethanniversary was celebrated in 2017, has been awarded to courageous journalistswho have stood up for press freedom and

freedom of expression, despite the risks they faced. It is considered as one of the leadingrecognitionsworldwide inthefieldofpressfreedomand is the only one in existence within the United Nations system. Given the international visibility of theaward,ithighlightsthecommitmentandresolutionof individuals towards freedom of expression and the challengestheyencounter. ThePrizehasfacilitatedthereleaseofseverallaureates and has allowed their work to continue. From2013 to2017, fourout of five laureateswereimprisoned at the time of their respective award ceremony. Three of them were later released, a testamenttotheimpactofthePrizeanditspotentialin contributing to a free and independentmedia allovertheglobe. In 2013, the independent international jury recommended Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemuas thewinner.At the time, shewas serving a five-year prison sentence for her reporting.Alemu wasreleased in 2015, serving only three years of hersentence. Investigative reporter Ahmet Şik fromTurkeyreceivedthePrizein2014andwasoneofthefew laureates not imprisoned at the time the award wasconferred.The2015PrizewasawardedtoSyrianpress freedom advocate Mazen Darwish, who hadendured torture, travel bans, numerous detentions

and harassment for his work. He had been arrested in2012andwas released from jail inAugust2015,threemonthsafterreceivingthePrize.Thefollowingyear, Azerbaijani investigative journalist KhadijaIsmayilovawaschosenbythejury.On25May2016,onlythreeweeksafterreceivingtheprestigiousPrize,she was released from prison. The latest laureate is Dawit Isaak, an Eritrean-Swedish journalist who has beenimprisonedformorethan15yearssince2001.His current whereabouts are unknown. In the last five years, the Prize has beenable tochange lives for thebetterandhasbecomemoreprominentastheleadingrecognitionforpressfreedom advocacy.

UNESCO/Guillermo CanoWorld PressFreedomPrize

Betlehem Isaak receiving from UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova the 2017 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on behalf of her father, Dawit Isaak. Photo credit: © Voice of Millenials.

“My father knew that without the basic

establishment of human rights, freedom of speech,

access to education and healthcare, no society

could flourish, no nation could achieve stability, and no people could prosper.”

Betlehem IsaakDaughter of Dawit Isaak, Laureate of the 2017

UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

UNESCO’s campaign “20 quotes for Press Freedom”

UNESCO’s campaign 20 quotes for press freedom.

Created in1997, theUNESCO/GuillermoCanoWorldPressFreedomPrizehonoursaperson,organisationorinstitutionthathasmadeanoutstandingcontributiontothedefence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, and especiallywhenthishasbeenachievedinthefaceofdanger.Itwasestablishedontheinitiativeof UNESCO’s Executive Board and is formally conferred by the UNESCO Director-

General, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May. Awarded annually, the $25,000Prize is named in honour ofGuillermoCano Isaza, aColombianjournalistwhowasassassinatedinfrontoftheofficesofhisnewspaperElEspectadorinBogotá,Colombiaon17December1986.

ThePrizeiscurrentlyfundedbytheGuillermoCanoIsazaFoundation(Colombia),theHelsinginSanomat Foundation (Finland) and the Namibia Media Trust (Namibia).

BACKGROUND of the prize

Free speech for Africa

Free speech for Africa

LAUREATESLaureatesofthePrizehavemadesignificantcontributionstomediafreedomworldwide,ofteninthefaceofdangerand in timesofcrisis.ThePrize isawardedon the recommendationofan internationalandindependentjury,consistingofsixmemberswhorepresentalltypesofmedia,includingdigitalmedia,andallregions.Jurymembersarewell-knownfortheirworkintheareaofnewsgathering,journalism,pressfreedom,andfreedomofexpression.ThePrizewinnerisselectedbytheDirector-GeneralofUNESCOonthebasisoftheassessmentsandrecommendationsmadetohim/herbythejury.

ThePrizehasbeenawardedtojournalistsandactivists,insomecasesposthumously.

1997 – Gao Yu, China1998 – Christina Anyanwu, Nigeria1999 – Jesus Blancornelas, Mexico2000 – Nizar Nayyouf, Syria2001 – U Win Tin, Myanmar2002 – Geoffrey Nyarota, Zimbabwe2003 – Amira Hass, Israel2004 – Raúl Rivero, Cuba2005 – Cheng Yizhong, China2006 – May Chidiac, Lebanon2007 – Anna Politkovskaya, Russia

2008 – Lydia Cacho Ribeiro, Mexico2009 – Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lanka2010 – Mónica González Mujica, Chile2011 – Ahmad Zeidabadi, Iran2012 – Eynulla Fatullayev, Azerbaijan2013 – Reeyot Alemu, Ethiopia2014 – Ahmet Sik, Turkey2015 – Mazen Darwish, Syria2016 – Khadija Ismayilova, Azerbaijan2017 – Dawit Isaak, Eritrea/Sweden

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