2018-04-28

On the period of April 28 - May 3, 2018 UNESCO Office in Tashkent in cooperation with other UN agencies, the National Association of Electronic Mass Media (NAEMM) and other media partners hold  a series of activities/events on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day.

3rd May is an important day for journalists around the world. On that day, the global mass media community commemorates the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) the roots of which going back to 1993 when the UN General Assembly proclaimed the observation following the recommendations adopted at the twenty-sixth session of UNESCO's General Conference in 1991. This marked the importance of the mass media work and the role it plays in the modern world, as well as importance of media pluralism and independence.

The topic of WPFD in 2018 is “Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and the Rule of Law.” This topic will provide a forum for diverse actors to discuss the interplay between media, the judiciary and the rule of law, within the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year WPFD will encourage debates on the issues of media and transparency of the political process, the independence and media literacy of the judicial system, and the accountability of state institutions towards the public. It is important to note that this year’s topic of WPFD is in line with the last reforms conducted by the government in Uzbekistan in terms of promoting dialogue between government authorities and general public and creating respective platforms to make this dialogue possible, as well as protecting journalists’ activities.

As Head of UNESCO Office in Tashkent Mr. Badarch Dendev stated, in the light of recent reforms taken place in Uzbekistan, which encourage promotion of dialogue between the government and population, the role of mass media as mediator and informal educator become essential and crucial. WPFD celebration helps to mark this importance and promote further development and improvement of democracy in Uzbekistan.

Following a good tradition of joint celebration of WPFD, this year UNESCO Office in Tashkent along with its partners (UNDP in Uzbekistan, National Association of Electronic Mass Media (NAEMM), National TV and Radio Company (NTRC), In-service Center for Journalists Training (ICJT), and other partners) plans to conduct and participate in number of events that include:  

• ·         Training on “Covering SDGs in Mass Media” (jointly with UNDP)
• ·         Training on quality non-news programming
• ·         Publishing series of articles on “Mass Media Contribution on SDG agenda” (jointly with ICTJ)
• ·         International Round Table “Strengthening guarantees of mass media freedom in the context of the market economy development and competition in the information sphere: the experience of Uzbekistan” (organized by NAEMM)
• ·         National contest of journalists “Oltin Qalam” (Golden pen) where UNESCO has a nomination on best media coverage of Human Rights (this nomination is dedicated to 70th anniversary of UN Declaration on Human Rights)

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. It is a date to encourage and develop initiatives in favor of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.