Ghana is expected to host the 2018 World Press Freedom Day (WPFD).<\/p>\n
The two-day event, 3rd<\/sup> to 4th<\/sup> May, 2018, will bring together leading actors from the media, civil society, policy makers, representatives of the judiciary and academia, to discuss latest developments and pressing challenges related to press freedom and the safety of journalists.<\/p>\n The event, which will be organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization\u00a0(UNESCO), will be partnered by the government of Ghana.<\/p>\n The 2018 edition of the World Freedom Day will be on the theme: \u00a0\u201cMedia, Justice and the Rule of law\u201d.<\/p>\n [contextly_sidebar id=”PvCtcTU0Sb43BP6nQfSObPpcSTEa0sZV”]It is the fourth time that the global celebration of WPFD will take place on African soil \u2013 27 years after the Windhoek Declaration on free, independent and pluralistic media was adopted, and later endorsed by UNESCO\u2019s General Conference.<\/p>\n The main celebration in Accra is expected to be reinforced by some 100 national events the world over.<\/p>\n Speaking to the media on a brief visit to Ghana, Irina Bokova, the Director General of the\u00a0UNESCO, called on government to focus on giving citizens much more access to information.<\/p>\n This she said would quicken Ghana\u2019s ability to attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very excited that Ghana extended an invitation to host [the World Press Freedom Day] next year, on the 3rd<\/sup> of May. We know that people need to be informed in order to take the right decisions, and also because we consider that this is not just a human right but it is vital for sustainable development, and that when we speak about the implementation of the agenda 2030 for sustainable development where UNESCO is the lead agency in education, we work a lot in social inclusion, in gender equality, in youth development, skills for young people, but also goal 16 which is about strong institution, inclusive and just societies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI would say overall journalism plays a huge importance, and UNESCO is very much looking forward to the next World Press Freedom Day here in Ghana,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Ambassador of Ghana to UNESCO, Anna Bossman, also said Ghana\u2019s acceptance to host the event \u201cdemonstrates her commitment to the promotion of press freedom within our national territorial boundaries, the African continent as a whole, and the global community in general.\u201d<\/p>\n