世界新闻自由日 | “新闻自由是民主社会的基石”
联合国秘书长古特雷斯世界新闻自由日致辞
每年的5月3日，我们庆祝新闻自由的基本原则，评估世界各地的新闻自由状况，捍卫媒体的独立性不受攻击，并向在履行职责中丧生的记者致以敬意。在1991年教科文组织大会第26届会议通过了相关建议之后，联合国大会于1993年宣布设立世界新闻自由日。教科文组织的建议是对非洲记者群体1991年发布《温得和克宣言》的回应，该标志性宣言主张媒体多元和媒体独立。
维护新闻自由和言论自由是教科文组织的核心任务之一。 教科文组织坚信，这些自由能促进相互理解，进而推动可持续的和平。
新闻自由日是一个让民众了解新闻自由受到的限制和侵害的机会。在全球的几十个国家，出版物遭到审查、罚款、暂停或禁止，而记者、编辑和出版者则受到骚扰、袭击、拘留、乃至谋杀。
新闻自由日是鼓励和发展有利于新闻自由的倡议，并评估全世界新闻自由状况的日子。
世界新闻自由日意在提醒各国政府尊重他们对新闻自由的承诺，提请媒体专业人士反思新闻自由和职业道德问题。同时，世界新闻自由日是我们表达对媒体的支持的日子，媒体是压制和剥夺新闻自由行为的目标受众。我们亦在这一天追思为新闻事业献出生命的新闻工作者。
教科文组织总干事奥德蕾·阿祖莱女士
世界新闻自由日致辞
2019年5月3日
新闻自由是民主社会的基石。所有国家、所有民族都会因信息、辩论与观点交锋而变得强大。
当今对媒体和新闻工作的可信性和合法性的质疑之声四起之时，通过基于事实真相的意见和信息的自由交流保障观点自由，至关重要。
第26个世界新闻自由日的主题是“媒体推动民主：虚假信息时代的新闻和选举”。教科文组织、埃塞俄比亚联邦民主共和国政府和非洲联盟将在5月2日至3日于亚的斯亚贝巴共同举办全球会议。此外，在世界各地亦有多项围绕这一主题开展的活动。
政治动荡剧烈的时代也带来了沦为工具的风险，再加上针对记者的监禁、骚扰、任意逮捕甚至谋杀等行为，记者们无法自由地从事本职工作。
据教科文组织观察站统计，2018年，99名记者被杀害。1994至2018年间，共有1307名记者遇害。
侵害记者的犯罪不受惩罚，会威胁到我们整个社会。这一威胁时刻提醒我们要保持警惕。我们必须共同行动起来，保护表达自由，保障记者安全。
自由、多元、独立媒体的存在，是民主制度良好运行不可或缺的条件。独立的新闻业能够让公民了解事实真相并形成自己的观点。新闻自由能够保障社会透明度，确保每个人都能获取信息。独立的新闻业分析世界并让世界变得人人可及，从而致力于捍卫观点的多样性。
今天，我们邀请会员国、民间社会及各专业组织与我们一道，礼赞新闻自由和信息获取权——它们是所有民主社会的保障。
World Press Freedom Day
Video Message by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day
Every year, 3 May is a date which 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 Windhoek Declaration 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 a sustainable peace.
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.
3 May acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom and is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.
Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay,
Director-General of UNESCO,
on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day
3 May 2019
Press freedom is the cornerstone of democratic societies. All States, all nations, are strengthened by information, debate and the exchange of opinions.
At a time of growing discourse of mistrust and delegitimization of the press and journalism, it is essential that we guarantee freedom of opinion through the free exchange of ideas and information based on factual truths.
The theme of this 26th celebration is “media for democracy: journalism and elections in times of disinformation”. In addition to its use at the international conference organized jointly with the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the African Union in Addis Ababa, from 2 to 3 May 2019, this theme is being addressed at numerous events around the world.
While these periods are key moments of political liveliness, they also lend themselves to all the dangers of instrumentalization, combined with practices such as obstruction, harassment, unlawful arrest and even murder, which prevent journalists from doing their work freely.
The UNESCO observatory recorded 99 journalists killed in 2018, and a total of 1,307 journalists killed between 1994 and 2018.
Impunity for crimes committed against journalists is a threat that affects all our societies. This threat requires us to be constantly vigilant. We must act together to protect the freedom of expression and safety of journalists.
The existence of free, pluralistic and independent media is a prerequisite for the proper functioning of democracies. Independent journalism provides an opportunity to present facts to citizens and to form an opinion. Press freedom guarantees transparent societies where everyone can access information. Independent journalism analyses the world and makes it accessible to all, working for the diversity of opinion.
Today, we invite Member States, as well as civil society and professional organizations, to celebrate press freedom and the right of access to information, which are essential to any democratic society.