Director-General condemns killing of journalist Magomedzarid Varisov

UNESCO-CI Press Release:

"The Director-General of UNESCO, Ko�chiro Matsuura, today condemned the murder of journalist Magomedzarid Varisov, who died of gunshot wounds on June 28 on a street in Makhachkala, Dagestan (Russian Federation)..........

"UNESCO is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to 'further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.' To realize this purpose the Organization is required to 'collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…'”