UNESCO promotes freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right, through sensitization and monitoring activities. It also fosters media independence and pluralism as prerequisites and major factors of democratization by providing advisory services on media legislation and sensitizing governments, parliamentarians and other decision-makers. 

UNESCO Cairo Office (UCO) had organized the commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day in partnership with United Nations Information Center (UNIC) in the historical Manial Palace in Cairo on 2^nd of May 2012. The event gathered more than 200 leading Egyptian personalities from the fields of media, culture and politics as well as representatives of the UN family and international donor community. At the opening ceremony Peter Rawley, Representative of the United Nations in Egypt delivered the joint statement of Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General and Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO.