World Press Freedom Day
World Press Freedom Day 30th Anniversary - Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights
On World Press Freedom Day 2023, UNESCO organized a special anniversary event at UN headquarters in New York, marking the 30 years since the UN General Assembly’s decision proclaiming an international day for press freedom. Over 1,000 participants attended this anniversary edition of World Press Freedom Day at the UN Headquarters on 2nd May. Forty five press freedom events were organized by partners in New York and many more events commemorated World Press Freedom Day around the world!
Watch the webcasted sessions
2 May 2023
AM Session - PM Session
Speakers
Registration to the 30th anniversary event is now closed
Coming to New York? Read the practical note for participants.
If you are a journalist and would like to cover the event for a media outlet, please get accredited by MALU.
More statements on World Press Freedom Day
- Joint statement by Presidents of the United Nations General Assembly, UNESCO General Conference, the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Human Rights Council.
- Joint declaration on Media Freedom and Democracy by Special mandates holders on freedom of Expression of the UN, the OAS, OSCE, and the African Union
- Statements by Member States from the Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists at UNESCO, the UN Headquarters in New York, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.
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Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union.
Celebrations around the world and in New York City
Everything is alright
For this #WorldPressFreedomDay, we are encouraging everyone to publish a single message: "Everything is alright." Because if everything is alright in the news, then something is wrong with journalism. And when journalism is compromised, we cannot protect human rights.
Download the print ads and messages for social media and post them on 3 May.
Cartoons for Freedom of Expression
Browse the selection of this year's UNESCO and Cartooning for Peace "Cartoons for freedom of expression" series - which this year has the New Yorker as a special guest!
Get Involved
#WorldPressFreedomDay #PressFreedom
3 May acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.
Read more
Every year, 3 May is a date which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration.
News
The Windhoek Declaration
The Windhoek Declaration is considered a benchmark for ensuring press freedom around the world. It all began at a seminar in Windhoek, Namibia in 1991. Read more
Resources
