World Press Freedom Day, Ban Ki-moon emphasizes the importance of free and pluralistic media

May 3 is "World Press Freedom Day". UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and director-General of UNESCO, Bokova, issued a joint statement stressing the importance of free and pluralistic media and calling on all countries, professional media and non-governmental organizations to work with the United Nations to promote freedom of expression on the Internet in emerging media.

"Freedom of expression is one of the most precious rights, it is the underpinning of all other freedoms and the basis of human dignity", and freedom of speech and media is the subject of "World Press Freedom Day", the statement said. The statement stated that freedom of the media was indispensable for a healthy and vibrant society and called for the right to hold "ideas and opinions" as stipulated in article 19th of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to "seek, receive and impart information and ideas regardless of national boundaries". The statement stressed that "World press Freedom Day is the opportunity for us to uphold the banner and strive to promote freedom of the media." This freedom is the pillar of individual rights, the foundation of a healthy society and the power to promote social change. ”

The statement said media freedom is under heavy pressure around the world. A total of 62 journalists were killed in the world in 2011. In addition, online journalists, including bloggers, are increasingly being harassed, beaten and even killed as the internet media emerges. The statement stressed that network media workers should be the same protection as traditional media workers.