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May 03, 2014 News
Theme: Media Freedom for a Better Future: Shaping the Post-2015 Development Agenda
Guyana Press Association –
“This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme is important. Media Freedom is one of the essential rights that should serve as the cornerstone to any developing society. The role of the media must not be taken for granted and should always be respected and media freedom should always be encouraged and promoted by democratic governments. The role of the media in the development of a society is pivotal but journalists must understand that the role comes with responsibility and therefore they should always in their quest to present the story be mindful of the responsibilities that come with the profession.”
Joint Message by the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and the UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova
This year, the international community has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to prepare a long-term agenda for sustainable development to succeed the Millennium Development Goals when they end in 2015.
Successfully implementing that agenda will require all populations enjoy the fundamental rights of freedom of opinion and expression. These rights are essential to democracy, transparency, accountability and the rule of law. They are vital for human dignity, social progress and inclusive development.
World Press Freedom Day highlights the importance of independent, free and pluralistic media to protecting and promoting these rights. Journalism provides a platform for informed discussion across a wide range of development issues – from environmental challenges and scientific progress to gender equality, youth engagement and peace building.
Only when journalists are at liberty to monitor, investigate and criticize policies and actions can good governance exist.
Even as we look beyond 2015, we must confront current grave threats to press freedom around the world. In many countries journalists and other media workers face systematic obstacles to reporting the truth, ranging from censorship, arrest and imprisonment to intimidation, attacks and even assassination. These outrageous abuses shows that press freedom and human rights are extremely fragile and must be actively defended.
The United Nations General Assembly has unequivocally condemned all attacks and violence against journalists and media workers. Governments and all those with influence must now act on this condemnation by protecting journalists and other media workers. The United Nations stands ready to do its part. UN bodies are already working together and with other partners under the leadership of UNESCO to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers around the world.
On this World Press Freedom Day, we call on all States, societies and individuals to actively defend freedom of expression and press freedom as fundamental rights and as critical contributions to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the post-2015 development agenda.
Declaration by the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the European Union
On the 21st anniversary of World Press Freedom day, the European Union (EU) reiterates that free, diverse and independent media constitutes one of the cornerstones of a democratic society by facilitating the free flow of information and ideas, and by ensuring transparency and accountability.
The EU calls upon all governments to abide by international norms and to put an end to the intimidation, harassment, censorship and arbitrary detention of journalists and to impunity. Efforts to protect journalists should not be limited to those formally recognised as such, but should also cover support staff and others who use new media to reach a mass audience.
Technological innovations in information technology and communications have created new ways of promoting freedom of expression but have also brought new challenges. The EU is firmly opposed to any unjustified restrictions on the internet and other new media. All human rights that exists offline must also be protected online, in particular the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
The EU will soon adopt the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Expression Online and Offline. The aim of those guidelines is to address unjustified restrictions on freedom of expression, promote media freedom and provide valuable guidance to EU officials and staff across the globe.
Alliance For Change recognizes the importance of World Press Freedom Day
The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day or World Press Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and to remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This year the issue of Press Freedom is again in the forefront especially as we celebrate 20 years of the Declaration of Chapultepec…a document that enshrines the commitment of nation states, including Guyana which is a signatory, “to preserve, promote and protect press freedom”.
In its preamble the Declaration, drafted by world leaders and journalists from the Americas, declares that “Without freedom there can be no true order, stability and justice. And without freedom of expression there can be no freedom.”
The Declaration contains ten fundamental principles necessary for a free press to comply with its essential role in a democracy.
The relevance of the Declaration lies in the fact that it commits journalists and citizens to defend and promote freedom of the press and freedom of expression as priorities to achieve the common good.”
As the Chairman of the Chapultepec Committee noted “The Declaration not only commits to permanently seeking the truth, demanding freedom and tolerance, but also commits us to respect standards and ethical criteria in communication.”
At this time the AFC continues to lament the fact that the state controlled media in Guyana continues to reject these core principles visible in the “shutting out” of a range of diverse views, especially those it deems “opposition” and continually failing to recognize the right of each citizen to receive information from all source, to reflect on it and to respectfully come to his or her own conclusions.
The role of journalists in fulfilling these objectives is vital and the AFC notes with alarm the reality in Guyana. Too often independent journalists are labeled as being opposition for merely doing their work which is an unacceptable state of affairs.
Recently we observed a journalist attached to NCN was suspended for airing the Budget presentation by an AFC Parliamentarian. The AFC notes that yesterday in the press another has been sent home.
This once again brings home the fact that the report into financial irregularities at NCN has still not been made public. And, this nation continues to wonder what specific action has been taken to remedy the situation.
The AFC recognizes the need to improve access to public information, public education, public participation in government and the building of public trust. The National Communications Network like other media houses is strategically placed to play this all important role.
As the AFC recognizes the World Press Freedom Day, the party hopes that all in Guyana will focus on the application of these principles which are fundamental and essential for the public’s right to information and the strengthening of our democracy.
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