International Press Freedom Day

On World Press Freedom Day 2024, UNESCO will organize a special anniversary event at UN headquarters in New York, marking 31 years since the UN General Assembly’s decision proclaiming an international day for press freedom.

Celebrated every 3rd of May, this year’s theme for the Day will be “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for All Other Human Rights” (working title), signifying the enabling element of freedom of expression to enjoy and protect all other human rights.  

World Press Freedom Day 2024 Theme
The focus of World Press Freedom Day in 2024 will center around “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis.” This significant day is scheduled for celebration on May 3, 2024.

Background of World Press Freedom Day
Every year, May 3 May is a date that celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence, and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This in turn was a response to a call by African journalists who, in 1991, produced the landmark on media pluralism and independence.

At the core of UNESCO's mandate is freedom of the press and freedom of expression. UNESCO believes that these freedoms allow for mutual understanding to build sustainable peace.

Activities
This anniversary edition of World Press Freedom Day will include a full day of activities at the UN Headquarters on May May. Partners from the media, academia, and civil society are invited to organize events in New York and around the world centered on this year’s theme. Under the theme “Journalism under Digital Siege," the digital era’s impact on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information, and privacy will also be discussed.

World Press Freedom Day 2024 will reunite relevant stakeholders, such as policymakers, journalists, media representatives, activists, cybersecurity managers, and legal experts, to explore these issues and develop concrete solutions to address the threats posed by increased surveillance to press freedom and privacy.

Best wishes on this day

-Suyog Dhakal