WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

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Today is being marked across the globe as ‘World Press Freedom Day’. 

Every year, 3rd May is set aside to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom, evaluate press freedom around the world, defend the media from attacks on their independence and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, leads the worldwide celebration by identifying the global thematic and organising events in different parts of world. 

The theme for this year's World Press Freedom Day is: ‘Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s Role in Advancing Peaceful, just and inclusive societies.’ 

 The international day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 following a Recommendation adopted at the 26th 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.

 In A Message to commemorate the occasion, the UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutterres, has called for an end to crackdown against journalists.

 Mr. Gutterres said the "free media" need leaders to help it counter prevailing misinformation in countries around the world adding that journalists go to the most dangerous places to give voice to the voiceless.   

In Ghana, the Ghana Journalists Association held a public lecture and flag-raising ceremony in Accra to mark the Day.

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