On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, journalists, media organisations and most governments across the world will reaffirm the principles of a free, independent and pluralistic press and support the right of journalists to practise their profession without coercion or hindrance, as well as salute those who have died on the job.
In observance of this important occasion locally, a two-day international conference will be hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) at the Jamaica Conference Centre from May 2 to 3.
Chairperson of the National Commission of Jamaica, UNESCO, and Minister of Education, Youth and Culture, Maxine Henry Wilson, will start the proceedings on May 2, with welcome and opening remarks, followed by a keynote address by Koïchiro Matsura, Director General of UNESCO.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson will officially open the event, under the theme - 'Freedom of Expression: Early New Millennium Challenges' - followed by the official unveiling of a multi-media exhibition.
Two plenary sessions will follow, beginning with, 'Unpunished Crimes Against Journalists: A Strategy for Reducing Impunity'. This session will be moderated by Managing Director of the Grenada Voice, Leslie Pierre, with Rapporteur being Secretary General of the Pakistan Press Foundation, Owais Aslam Ali.
Global overviews will follow, with presentations by Acting Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, Joel Simon, on 'Worldwide state of Impunity'. Julio Muñoz, Secretary General, IAPA, will examine, 'Trends in the Americas and measures to be established to guarantee Press Freedom', while Pierrre Lemonie of Reporters Sans Frontiéres (Reporters Without Borders), will discuss 'International mechanisms against the Culture of Impunity'.
This will be followed by case study presentations to be made by Algerian journalist, Youcef Zirem; Chairman of the Board of Rede Brazil Sul, Jaime Sirotsky; Executive Director, Pen Canada, Isobel Harry; Editor of Nepali Times, Kunda Dixit; President of the Association of Rwandese des Femmes Journalists, Valérie Gatabazi; and Elizabeth Solomon of Human Rights Journalists, Right to Rights, Trinidad and Tobago.
The afternoon session will be moderated by Director of Lynx and La Lance, Guinea, Souleymane Diallo, with global report presented by Rodney Pinder of the International Press Institute. In this segment, case studies will be examined by Director of Primer Café Antena 3, Spain, Carmen Gurruchaga; Head of the Caribbean Service BBC, London, Debbie Ransome; Senior Correspondent of the Ha'aretz in Israel, Amira Hass; and Chairperson of Media Institute of Southern Africa, Reyhana Masters-Smith.
Day two will begin with the third plenary session, which will look at 'Freedom of Expression in Knowledge Societies: Opportunities'. Moderated by Leonard Sussman of Freedom House, United States, this session will see an overview by Managing Editor of The Nation, Thailand, Kavi Chongkittavorn, with presentations by Co-ordinator of the Public Voice Coalition, EPIC, Mihir Kshirsagar, who will discuss 'The development of participative democracy and world civil society'.
Head of the Caribbean Institute of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), Dr. Hopeton Dunn, will look at 'New Opportunities for New Journalism'; and Attorney-at-Law and Caribbean press freedom advocate, Bernice Lake, will examine 'Legal, Economic and Policy Challenges to Creating Knowledge Societies in The Caribbean'. Director of Training at the International Centre for Journalists, Patrick Butler will cover the issue of the training of journalists.
Session four, 'Obstacles To The Full Enjoyment of Freedom of Expression in The Information Society', will feature presentations by Director of Communications, World Association of Newspapers, Larry Kilman, speaking on 'Economical Pressures'; and Claude Robinson of the Research and Policy Group, Mona School of Business, University of the West Indies, speaking on technological challenges to traditional media systems in the Caribbean.
The fifth session, 'Freedom of Expression, ICTs and Development: What Relationship?' will feature presentations by Mark Nelson of the World Bank, on 'Economic Development And Press Freedom'; Lecturer at the University of Madras, T.R. Gopalkrishnan will present a case study on, 'The Development of Community Media Centres', while Executive Director of Chasquinet, Ecuador, Karin Delgado, will make a presentation on, 'Free Community Media Voices and ICTs for Human Advancement'.
In addition, Information Advisor of the Caribbean Epidemiological Council, Jones P. Madeira will explore the issues surrounding journalism, new media and HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.
World Press Freedom Day was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December, 1993, as an outgrowth of the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press. Throughout the world, May 3 now serves as an occasion to inform the public of violations of the right to freedom of expression.
UNESCO describes World Press Freedom Day as, "a day of action to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of the freedom of the press, a day to assess the state of press freedom worldwide, to remind governments to respect their commitments to press freedom, to alert the public and to increase awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and a day of reflection to encourage debate among media professionals on the issues of press freedom and professional ethics".