Promotion of Independent and Pluralist Media

The General Conference,

Recalling Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Also recalling resolution 4.3 adopted at its twenty-sixth session 'recognizing that a free, pluralistic and independent press is an essential component of any democratic society', and inviting the Director­General 'to extend to other regions of the world the action ... to encourage press freedom and to promote the independence and pluralism of the media',

Noting with satisfaction resolution 4.1 adopted at its twenty­seventh session and, in particular, paragraph 2.A.(a) inviting the Director­General 'to promote the free flow of information at international and national levels, press freedom, independent and pluralistic media, and a better balanced dissemination of information, without any obstacle to the freedom of expression',

Thanking the Director­General for having implemented, in accordance with the above resolution, a broad variety of activities, and in particular for having organized, in co­operation with the United Nations Department of Public Information and professional media organizations and with the assistance of a number of donor agencies, a series of regional seminars to promote press freedom, and independent and pluralistic media,

Stressing the outstanding importance of and endorsing the declarations adopted by the participants in the seminars held in Windhoek, Namibia (29 April-3 May 1991), in Almaty, Kazakstan (5­9 October 1992) and in Santiago, Chile (2­6 May 1994),

Convinced that the joint UNESCO/United Nations (Department of Public Information) regional seminar on promoting independent and pluralist Arab media to be held in Sana'a, Yemen, in early 1996 will contribute to creating conditions that will enable pluralist media to develop and participate effectively in the democratization and development processes in the Arab region,

Invites the Director­General to take adequate measures in order to prepare and organize, in co-operation with the United Nations Department of Public Information and professional media organizations and with the support of various funding sources, a similar regional seminar in Europe at the beginning of May 1997, also using this opportunity to celebrate International Press Freedom Day, whose creation was proposed in May 1991, in Windhoek, by the participants in the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press.