The Windhoek +30 Declaration endorsed by the African Journalists Leaders Conference

The African Journalists Leaders’ Conference was officiated by the President of Republic of Ghana, H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, and was held in Accra (Ghana) from 1 -2 June 2021, organized by the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), hosted by the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and with the support of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). African Union Commission leaders and journalists attended the conference from the five regions of the African continent.

On the second day of the conference, delegates adopted the ‘Accra Declaration on Building Stronger Unions to Enhance Journalism and Media Freedom in Africa’. It called on African Union (AU), the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and national governments to fulfill their roles needed to ensure media freedom and democratization in Africa. The Declaration especially acknowledged the critical role of the African governments, including investigating crimes against journalists, supporting viability of media and preserving the independence of journalists and news media organizations. The Windhoek + 30 Declaration was specifically mentioned in the resolution, emphasizing how African governments should support the implementation of its recommendations.

The Windhoek +30 Declaration was adopted on 3 May 2021, during UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Global Conference 2021. It set out recommendations for governments, intergovernmental organizations, technology companies, journalists, media outlets, civil society and academia to secure information as a public good. It paid tribute to the original Windhoek Declaration which acted benchmark for ensuring press freedom around the world, and carried on the statement to contribute to freedom of expression.