UNESCO Regional Office for Southern Africa, UN Zimbabwe and UN System Staff College (UNSSC) are in Victoria Falls from 20 to 21 April, 2023 to discuss ways of scaling up a wide UN understanding of the Rights to Freedom of Expression by Sub Saharan Africa’s Resident Coordinators and their representatives.
The two-day event will be attended by 60 delegates, including Sub Saharan Resident Coordinators and their Representatives from East, West and Southern Africa, with presentations led by the UN SSC and civil society organisations from across Africa. Discussions will centre on how UN Resident Coordinators can work with African governments, civil society and all structures of society to improve the safety of journalists and enhance freedom of expression.
UNESCO’s Assistant Director General for Communication and Information, Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, is expected to share the workshop’s opening remarks at a time when press freedom continues its downward trend across the globe where new laws and policies are being passed by governments to restrict freedom of expression online.
"At country level, the Resident Coordinators are a crucial coordination link. Freedom of Expression and the right to Information are at the heart of all that we do in the UN system. Whether it’s the right to access to Health Information, or the Right to Access to Education Information” says UNESCO ROSA Professor Arthur Lidia Brito.
The workshop is taking place at a time when the United Nations is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 30th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a driver for all other human rights, taking into consideration that people who cannot express themselves can never claim their rights.
UNESCO works with partners, including the civil society and media organisations in contribution to the promotion Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and the safety of journalists.
“UNESCO engages partners to advocate for UN system-wide advocacy of rights to Freedom of expression, because we understand that a free press is essential for peace, justice, sustainable development and human rights”, said Prof Brito.
To receive detailed information about the event and UNESCO’s Communication and Information programmes across Southern Africa you can contact Al Amin Yusuph on a.yusuph@unesco.org