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The 30th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day celebrated in Mongolia
With support of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia (UNESCO Beijing), the Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, the Council of Mongolian Journalists, Amnesty International Mongolia, the Globe International Center, the Press Institute of Mongolia, and the Media Council of Mongolia, organized a national event under the theme of “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights” on 3 May 2023, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of World Press Freedom Day in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The event began with opening speeches by Mr. O. Otgonbaatar, President of the Council of Mongolian Journalists, Mr. Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, Mr. Marko Ferri, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Mongolia, and Mr. J. Khunan, Head of the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia.
Prof. Shahbaz Khan, Director of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, also sent a special video greeting. The speeches highlighted the significance of press freedom and its relationship with human rights, as well as how the press and human rights organizations can collaborate in the future.
The panel discussion focused on pressing issues in the media and press industry. The four speakers emphasized the need for the implementation or reinforcement of various laws and regulations to safeguard journalists and ensure freedom of speech. Amnesty International Mongolia presented a video showcasing the impact of illicit government scrutiny on the lives of journalists. Afterwards, Mr. T. Yesun-Erdene from the Press Institute of Mongolia gave a presentation on Media and Information Literacy for Journalists and introduced UNESCO’s resources that can assist journalists in this field.
The event concluded with a peaceful demonstration on Sukhbaatar square, where all participants formed the shape of Mongolia's land borders and held signs promoting press freedom, freedom of speech, and human rights.
World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom 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.
