Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq Claudio Cordone reaffirms UNAMI’s commitment to free and independent media at #WorldPressFreedomDay event

On 3 May 2023 The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and UNESCO Iraq joined global celebrations commemorating the 30th annual World Press Freedom Day at a special event they organized in conjunction with the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate.

The event, which highlighted this year’s theme, “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights” brought together Iraqi officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, the High Judicial Council, the Ministry of Interior, the Commission on Media and Communications, as well as scores of journalists and other media professionals from a wide range of media outlets.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Claudio Cordone, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General of UNAMI emphasised the need “to stand in solidarity with journalists, to support them when they are under attack, and to hold those who seek to silence them accountable for their actions.”  He also highlighted that “we must protect their right to investigate, report and comment on matter of public interest, even if their views are unpopular or controversial.”

In a video message commemorating the day, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk, asserted that “without freedom of expression, we cannot challenge injustice, spark change or engage in the debates that make us fundamentally human”. In that spirit, he reminded the global community that “the safety of journalists is not just a question of personal security, it is a question of the safety and health of entire societies. It is a moral imperative – for the future of all of us – that we do everything possible to protect it”.  

Freedom of expression is guaranteed in Iraq by Article 38 of the Constitution, as well as Articles 19 of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. World Press Freedom Day provides an excellent opportunity for government, media, civil society, and international organizations to recommit to protecting journalists and human rights defenders, bloggers, activists and all those who exercise their right of freedom of expression, fostering debate, and promoting freedom of expression in Iraq and worldwide.