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Over these three days, a conference entitled “Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, and Media Safety in the Digital Age” will take place at the National Library of Latvia. Introductory statements at the conference will be delivered by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO; Edgars Rinkēvičs, the Latvian Foreign Minister; and Dace Melbārde, the Latvian Culture Minister.
The main theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day is freedom of expression in the Digital Age. The focus of the conference will be on quality investigative journalism and editorial independence, the safety of journalists, women and their role in the media environment, and innovative journalism. A media experts’ discussion will take place on challenges for journalists operating in the world’s hotspots, in which Peter Greste, a journalist of Latvian descent, will also be sharing his experiences.
The conference brings together over 400 participants including representatives from the leading world media, international organisations, academic institutions, and non-governmental organisations. Side events will also take place at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.
Within the framework of the World Press Freedom Day, the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize awards ceremony will pay tribute to the person who has made the most outstanding contribution to the defence of press freedom in the past year. This year the prize goes to Mazen Darwish, a Syrian journalist and lawyer, who notwithstanding lengthy imprisonment, has continued to staunchly defend the ideals of the freedom of expression. The President of Latvia, Andris Bērziņš, will give a speech in the context of the awards ceremony, and the event will also be attended by the Speaker of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament), Ināra Mūrniece, the Latvian Prime Minister, Laimdota Straujuma, and the Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs.
By the decision of the UN General Assembly, 3 May has been proclaimed the World Press Freedom Day with the aim of promoting press freedom and the freedom of expression in the world. Since 1993, UNESCO has been organising annual World Press Freedom Day events to facilitate and protect free, pluralistic and independent work of the press across the globe.
To commemorate the World Press Freedom Day 2015, Latvijas Pasts (Latvian postal service) has issued a special commemorative stamp.
The World Press Freedom Day Conference will take place at a very symbolic time for Latvia – on the 25th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of Latvia and during the first Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Latvia has always actively supported freedom of expression and the media, and the development of independent and quality media. In the World Press Freedom Index published by “Reporters Without Borders” on 11 February 2015, Latvia ranks 28th among 180 countries. Currently Latvia is a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Freedom Online Coalition.
The opening ceremony will be broadcast live on http://eu2015.lv/news/watch-live.
To follow the event on Twitter, use hashtags: #WPFD2015, #KeepSpeechFree, #PressFreedom.
