Monrovia, May 5 (LINA) – « A free press is essential for peace, justice, sustainable development and human rights, », says United Nations Secretary General Antònio Guterres.
In his statement was made on the occasion of the 26th observance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3 and read in Cestos City, River Cess County, where the Prss Union of Liberia (PUL) celebrated the Day.
Guterres said no democracy is complete without access to transparent and reliable information, adding that it is the cornerstone for building fair and impartial institutions, thereby holding leaders accountable and speaking truth to power.
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference, as a global event that celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom; assesses the state of press freedom worldwide; defends the media from attacks on their independence; and pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Guterres said, although technology has transformed the way in which information are received and shared, sometimes it is used to mislead public opinion or to fuel violence and hatred, noting that civic space is shrinking worldwide at an alarming rate.
« I am deeply troubled by the growing number of attacks and the culture of impunity, when media workers are targeted societies as a whole pays a price. So, on World Press Freedom Day, I call on all to defend the rights of journalists, whose efforts help us to build a better world for all, » Guterres said.
Also speaking on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, the Director General of UNESCO, Madam Audrey Azoulay, said press freedom is the cornerstone of democratic societies, adding that all States and Nations are strengthened by information, debate and exchange of opinions.
« It is essential that we guarantee freedom of opinion through the free exchange of ideas and information based on factual truths, » she said.
The UNESCO official stressed that while these periods are key moments of political liveliness, the media also lends itself to all the dangers of instrumentalization, combined with practices such as obstruction, harassment, unlawful arrest and murder which prevent journalists from doing their work freely.
Azoulay said impunity for crimes committed against journalists is a threat that affects all societies, noting that those threats require all to be constantly vigilant.
The UNESCO observatory, according to the Director General, recorded 99 journalists killed in 2018 and a total of 1,307 journalists killed between 1994 and 2018.
« We must act together to protect the freedom of expression and safety of journalists, the existence of free pluralistic and independent media is a prerequisite for the proper functioning of democracies, » Azoulay said.
Madam Azoulay further explained that independent journalism provides an opportunity to present facts to citizens and to form an opinion, stating that press freedom guarantees transparent societies where everyone can access information.
The UNESCO boss also said that independent journalism analyses the world and makes it accessible to all.
« Today we invite member states, as well as civil society and professional organizations to celebrate press freedom and the right of access to information which are essential to any democratic society, » Azoulay pointed out.
