09-05-2011 (Geneva) World Press Freedom Day celebrated in Geneva
To commemorate World Press Freedom Day, the UNESCO Liaison Office in Geneva, along with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, held a very successful panel discussion in the Palais des Nations on 3 May 2011.
09-05-2011 (Cairo) Egyptian journalists debated press freedom after decades of suppression
On 3 May 2011 the UNESCO Cairo Office supported the commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, which was organized by the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate at its premises. The event attracted approximately 200 journalists, including leading Egyptian media figures as well as editors of major Egyptian press.
09-05-2011 (Kabul) World Press Freedom Day celebrated in Afghanistan
World Press Freedom Day was celebrated in Kabul to highlight and recognize the most important achievement of the post-Taliban democracy - the media development and freedom. The event took place on 8 May 2011 in the International Press Centre of the Ministry of Information and Culture.
06-05-2011 (Paris) WSIS online debate: More research on impact of mobile phones for development needed
UNESCO’s WSIS Platform hosted an online debate from 11 April to 2 May and attracted over 2000 experts around the world. This debate was concerned with the impact of mobile telephony on social and economic development. Moderator David Souter emphasized the needs of more research on this topic.
05-05-2011 (Tunisia) UNESCO invited all journalists and media development partners to celebrate World Press Freedom Day 2011 in Tunis
This year’s celebration of World Press Freedom Day for North Africa took place on 3 May at the Cultural Centre El Menzah in Tunis under the theme “21st century’s media for building democracy”. The celebration brought together a wide range of local media partners, national broadcasters, bloggers and cyber activists, representatives from the transitional government and the committees on media reforms, United Nations and bilateral cooperation agencies.
04-05-2011 (Paris) Statement by Ahmad Zeidabadi, laureate of the 2011 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
I would like to greet the honourable Director General of UNESCO, as well as the members of the Prize Jury for their efforts and for the honour they have bestowed upon me with the award of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
04-05-2011 (Kingston) Caribbean journalists celebrate World Press Freedom Day
Over fifty Caribbean journalists are gathering at the Caribbean Media Conference in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to celebrate World Press Freedom Day. The conference, sponsored by UNESCO, is being held under the theme 21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers. It is taking place on 4 and 5 May 2011 at the National Insurance Services Centre in Kingstown.
04-05-2011 (Windhoek) Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), the Government of the Republic of Namibia, UNESCO and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN/IFRA) are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration, which culminated in 03 May 1991, being declared World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations General Assembly.
03-05-2011 (Kathmandu) Nepal Celebrates World Press Freedom Day on 3 May
Nepali journalists join the worldwide celebration of World Press Freedom Day, observed yearly on 3 May, with a seminar of media professionals on “21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers”.
03-05-2011 (Baghdad) UNESCO World Press Freedom Day in Iraq: Exploring New Media’s Frontiers and Challenges
Iraqi journalists will speak with one voice on 3 May, marking World Press Freedom Day by exploring new media’s impact on freedom of information and its role in empowering communities to action.
02-05-2011 (Paris) Director-General calls for freedom of expression to be protected worldwide
On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, is appealing to all governments to uphold their commitments in protecting and promoting freedom of expression and freedom of the press, which are the foundations of all democratic societies. Particular responsibility remains with the governments of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa to meet the aspirations of their people, notably for freedom of expression, a basic human right already largely reclaimed by the citizens of Egypt and Tunisia.
02-05-2011 (Windhoek) UNESCO OER Platform to be tested at celebrations of World Press Freedom Day in Windhoek
Journalism educators from Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa will meet to provide input to the UNESCO Open Educational Resources (OER) Platform in Windhoek, Namibia, on 6 May 2011 as a side event to the World Press Freedom Day celebrations in Namibia. The event is hosted by the Media Technology Department of the Polytechnic of Namibia.
02-05-2011 (Quito) World Press Freedom Day celebrated in Andean region
Within the framework of 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO-Quito supports a series of initiatives in the Andean region, aimed to commemorate this date proclaimed twenty years ago in Windhoek, Namibia. Moreover, UNESCO-Quito has disseminated a press kit for the mass media, providing information concerning this celebration.
29-04-2011 (Paris) The challenges of the new media at heart of World Press Freedom Day celebrations
“21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers” is the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on 3 May, with major events in Washington DC and New York (USA), alongside local and regional events all over the world.
29-04-2011 (Paris) WSIS Forum 2011: UNESCO strongly highlights the potentials of ICTs for building inclusive, open and diverse Knowledge Societies
UNESCO is organizing a High Level Dialogue on Rights to Communication and six Thematic Sessions at the WSIS Forum 2011 to be held, at the ILO Conference Centre, in Geneva, Switzerland from 16-20 May 2011.
29-04-2011 (Paris) Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media launched
In a groundbreaking effort to promote the voice of women in the news-gathering and news dissemination process, UNESCO and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) collaborated in a global research partnership that has culminated in the publishing of a report on women in the news media.
29-04-2011 (Paris) International Consultation on Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media
UNESCO, in collaboration with the International Federation of Journalists, organised an international consultation to review a draft framework of Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM) in Brussels on 14 and 15 April 2011.
28-04-2011 (Paris) Director-General deplores death of Bolivian news agency director David Niño de Guzmán
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, deplored the death of Bolivian news agency director David Niño de Guzmán and called for an investigation into his death.
23-04-2011 (Paris) Director-General deplores death of photojournalists Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros in Libya
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova deplored the deaths of photojournalist and film-maker Tim Hetherington and photographer Chris Hondros, killed in a mortar attack in the city of Misrata (Libya) on 20 April.
21-04-2011 (Paris) Director-General calls for investigation into deaths in detention of media professionals in Bahrain
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova called for an investigation into the deaths of Karim Fakhrawi, a co-founder of the country’s only independent newspaper Al-Wasat, and online writer Zakariya Rashid Hassan, both of whom died in prison in Bahrain earlier this month.
19-04-2011 (Paris) Director-General condemns murder of Italian journalist Vittorio Arrigoni
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, condemned the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni, the Italian reporter and peace campaigner whose body was found in the Gaza Strip on 15 April, one day after his abduction.
19-04-2011 (Paris) Director-General condemns murder of Brazilian journalist Luciano Leitão Pedrosa
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today condemned the murder of Brazilian radio and television journalist Luciano Leitão Pedrosa on 10 April. Pedrosa presented the Ação e Cidadania (Action and Citizenship) programme on TV Vitória. He also reported for the FM radio station Metropolitana.
18-04-2011 (Paris) Director-General condemns killing of Iraqi TV executive Taha Hameed
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, condemned the killing of Iraqi television executive Taha Hameed and called for improved safety for journalists in the country.
15-04-2011 (Kathmandu) Giving a voice to women through community radio
In Nepal, women are often considered as second class citizens. The Illiteracy rate is particularly high among females as they generally do not have access to information. For example, very few women own, or have control over the radio sets in their home, thereby limiting their freedom to decide which station or programme to listen to. Similarly, the number of women employed as radio presenters is low.
13-04-2011 (Kathmandu) Nepali community centres gain digital library skills
HealthNet Nepal, in collaboration with the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu, conducted an eight-day training course on digital libraries for members of seven Community Multimedia Centers (CMC) and two Community Learning Centers (CLC) recently.
12-04-2011 (Bangkok) MOWCAP Bureau Enters a New Decade in Historic Hanoi
Social media, utilizing the internet and engaging younger generations in the Memory of the World programme were very current topics brought to the agenda by the MOWCAP Bureau (UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia Pacific), at its annual meeting hosted in Hanoi, Vietnam from 3 to 5 March.
08-04-2011 (Windhoek) Young people in Namibia to sensitize public on importance of independent and pluralistic media
The United Nations System in Namibia in cooperation with MISA Namibia, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and Base FM will organize a one-day workshop to produce public announcement spots on the Windhoek Declaration on Promoting Independent and Pluralistic Media. The event is taking take place today at the Katutura Multi-purpose Youth Centre in Namibia.
07-04-2011 (Paris) UNESCO calls for participation in online debate on mobile phone for development
UNESCO is launching the first in a series of debates on ICTs and development on the WSIS Platform of Communities on 11 April. This first debate will focus on the Social and Economic Impact of Mobile Phones in Developing Countries.
07-04-2011 (Paris) Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi to receive 2011 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
Imprisoned Iranian journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi is the laureate of this year’s UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. He was selected by an independent international jury of 12 media professionals.
06-04-2011 (Paris) Global Open Access Portal: Call for consultants
UNESCO, with the support of Colombia, Norway and United States of America, is developing a portal on Open Access (OA) to present a high-level snapshot of the state of OA around the world. Entitled Global Open Access Portal (GOAP), the tool is supposed to be the first destination for users seeking information on OA.
