On World Press Freedom Day, UN calls for protecting rights of journalists, building world where truth-tellers are safe

NEW YORK, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 03rd May, 2026) On the World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for protecting the rights of journalists, and building a world where the truth – and truth-tellers – are safe.

‘’All freedom depends on press freedom. Without it, there can be no human rights, no sustainable development – and no peace,’’ said Guterres in a message on the World Press Freedom Day, observed on 3rd May every year.

He noted that economic pressures, new technologies, and active manipulation are also putting press freedom under unprecedented strain. When access to reliable information erodes, mistrust takes root. When public debate is distorted, social cohesion weakens. And when journalism is undermined, crises become far more difficult to prevent and resolve.

Across the globe, media workers risk censorship, surveillance, legal harassment – and even death, he added.

He regrated that recent years have seen a sharp rise in the number of journalists killed – often deliberately targeted – in war zones. 85% of the crimes committed against journalists go uninvestigated and unpunished: an unacceptable level of impunity.

May 3 acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to: celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

UNESCO and the Government of Zambia will co-host the World Press Freedom Day 2026 Global Conference on 4 - 5 May in Lusaka, Zambia, under the them Shaping a Future at Peace:Promoting Press Freedomfor Human Rights, Development,and Security.

At the event, UNESCO will appeal to governments and civil society to recommit to support independent journalism and the free flow of information, affirming that any peace, recovery or security policy must integrate information integrity and free, independent media alongside humanitarian, institutional and economic dimensions.