On World Press Freedom Day (3 May) the UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is conferred on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. The prize is named in honour of Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza who was assassinated in front of his newspaper offices in Bogotá on 17 December 1986. His writings had offended Colombia’s powerful drug barons.
May 3 was proclaimed World Press Freedom Day the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO’s General Conference in 1991. It serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom – a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered. It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.
A particular theme for every year is decided by the UNESCO for the celebration of World Press Freedom Day. A particular city where the main celebration takes place decides the theme for the day. Last year in 2019, Ethiopia decided the theme for World Press Freedom Day, it was, “Media for Democracy: Journalism and Elections in Times of Disinformation”.
UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organisation or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.
Credit : Republic World
Picture Credit : Google
