Message from Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day
3 May 2006
On World Press Freedom Day, we remind the world of the importance of protecting the fundamental human rights of freedom
of expression and freedom of the press, enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Freedom of
expression and press freedom are central to building strong democracies, promoting civic participation and the rule of
law, and encouraging human development and security
This year, World Press Freedom Day is dedicated to the consideration of how protecting and furthering the fundamental
human rights of freedom of expression and press freedom can assist in assuring another human right - the right to be
free from poverty. Today, more than 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day. Another 2.7 billion live on less than
$2 per day. To combat these tragic statistics, the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 2000 made poverty
eradication the highest priority among the goals of the international development community. The first Millennium
Development Goal (MDG) is that, by 2015, the number of people living in extreme poverty and suffering from hunger should
be reduced by half.
It is in this context that the recommendations for action from the World Summit on the Information Society should be
seen. UNESCO's elaboration of its concept of "knowledge societies", which is based upon four key principles - freedom of
_expression, universal access to information and knowledge, respect for cultural and linguistic diversity, and quality
education for all - was an important contribution to the World Summit. This concept recognizes the crucial role of the
media and information and communication technology (ICT) in creating activities that will expand access to information,
contribute to achieving the MDGs, and enable us to eventually bridge the so-called "digital divide", which is understood
to be far more than a technological issue
In the five years that have elapsed since the MDGs were elaborated, governments, UN agencies, NGOs and other
international actors have made tremendous efforts to mobilize resources and work together towards realizing these goals.
However, despite these efforts, there is growing concern that without moving forward differently, we are not on track to
attain the MDGs
Thus, we need to think creatively, even as we continue to think holistically, about how to achieve these essential goals
One central component of efforts to achieve the MDGs is local ownership and participation. Observing the successes and
failures of development efforts has led development agencies, NGOs and state actors to structure development around
local participation, recognizing that without the empowerment and understanding of local actors, even the best-supported
development plans tend to produce negligible or unsustainable results
Free and independent media should be recognized as a key dimension of efforts to eradicate poverty, for two main
reasons. First, free and independent media serve as a vehicle for sharing information in order to facilitate good
governance, generate opportunities to gain access to essential services, promote accountability and counteract
corruption, and develop the relationship between an informed, critical and participatory citizenry and responsive
elected officials
Second, free and independent media are associated with a range of 'goods' or benefits that are highly relevant to the
challenge of poverty eradication - including the recognition and strengthening of basic human rights, a stronger civil
society, institutional change, political transparency, support to education, public health awareness (such as education
campaigns on HIV and AIDS) and sustainable livelihoods. There is also a strong positive correlation between freedom of
_expression and higher incomes, lower infant mortality and increased adult literacy. These ideas were reiterated most
recently in the document adopted at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis, Tunisia, in November 2005,
where 176 participating States reaffirmed that freedom of _expression and the free flow of information, ideas and
knowledge are essential for development
Thus, World Press Freedom Day 2006 provides an occasion for considering the important questions of how a free press can
help eradicate poverty and how freedom of _expression and press freedom can assist in achieving the MDGs. In so doing,
it becomes clear that the defence of one fundamental human right - the right to freedom of _expression - may directly
protect several others, thereby showing how rights protections are interwoven intellectually, morally, and in practice
Of course, for the media to be effective in alleviating poverty, they must be allowed to operate freely and safely. This
year, we celebrate World Press Freedom Day at a time when being a media professional has never been more dangerous. In
2005, according to the statistics of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), a record number of journalists
and media staff - 150 people - were killed in the line of duty. This is the largest annual number of media professionals
killed in recorded history, and represents a tragic continuation of a statistical trend that has been rising over the
past several years; being a journalist is very dangerous and, sadly, is becoming more so. In addition to deaths in the
field, journalists and other media professionals continue to face threats and harassment; last year, more than 500 media
professionals were detained or imprisoned. Specific conflicts have also claimed record high numbers of journalists who
have been killed or injured, with the war in Iraq claiming 60 lives between March 2003 and December 2005
UNESCO calls on governments and public authorities throughout the world to end, in particular, the culture of impunity
regarding violence against journalists by investigating and punishing those responsible for attacks on media
professionals, and by taking the necessary precautions that make it possible for journalists to continue to provide us
with the essential knowledge and information that flow from a free and independent press
Koïchiro Matsuura
**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole responsibility of PINA**