Hardly a day goes by without Mr. KoŃ—chiro Matsuura, Director General of UNESCO, condemning the killings of journalists worldwide.>> MoreIt is crucial to restate that UNESCO is actively engaged in the promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and fosters media independence and pluralism by providing advisory services on media legislation and by making governments, parliamentarians and other decision-makers aware of the need to guarantee free expression.
Other major UNESCO activities in this field include the proclamation of a World Press Freedom Day to be celebrated on May 3rd; the establishment of an advisory group on press freedom which includes media professionals from all parts of the world; and the of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
UNESCO supports independent media in zones of conflict to enable them to play an active role in conflict prevention and resolution and the transition towards a culture of peace. For several years now, UNESCO has been supporting independent media to enable them to gather and disseminate non-partisan information. In this respect, the assistance provided to independent media in South East Europe, Angola, the Great Lakes Region in Africa, the Middle East, East Timor, and Afghanistan has contributed to peace building and reconciliation processes.
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* UNESCO Remembers Assassinated Journalists and Media Workers
© Photo: UNESCO
Last year, UNESCO's General Conference endorsed the principles contained in two UNESCO declarations: "Assistance to Media in Conflict Areas" and Countries in Transition” and "Media and Good Governance”
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