Mogadishu — On the occasion of World PressFreedom Day, the United Nations in Somalia today underlined the importance of public access to information and ensuring journalist safety.
“Independent and pluralistic media are central to good governance, as media freedom and access to information empower citizens to contribute to national development and to hold public institutions to account," said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, James Swan.
“In view of the key role of independent media as Somalia rebuilds and develops, journalists must be able to carry out their vital work safely and free from harassment and intimidation,” Mr. Swan added.
The UN General Assembly proclaimed World Press Freedom Day in 1993, with 3 Maydesignated for the observance to mark the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a landmark statement on the link between the freedom to seek, impart and receive information and the public good.
The Day acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom, as well as celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, assess the state of pressfreedom throughout the world, defend the media from attacks on their independence, and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
