Statement by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma.
We mark World Press Freedom Day 2015 by renewing our commitment vigorously to defend freedom of expression, and by reaffirming our acknowledgment of the media’s vital role in advancing Commonwealth values.
In the Commonwealth Charter, under the heading ‘Freedom of Expression’, our member states commit themselves: ‘to peaceful, open dialogue and the free flow of information, including through a free and responsible media, and to enhancing democratic traditions and strengthening democratic processes.’
More than ever, we are aware of the need to embrace with respect and understanding the rich diversity found in our societies. A vibrant press, together with other media for free expression, provides the foundations for social harmony and safe communities, and makes a vital contribution towards the strengthening of civil paths to peace.
In its report, the Commonwealth Commission on Respect and Understanding observed: ‘It is extremely important to recognise the role of an unrestrained and flourishing media in helping political participation and dialogue, allowing grievances to be aired and addressed, and facilitating the hearing that public appreciation and complaints should receive.’
Practical actions include offering technical assistance and mutual support through the Universal Periodic Review process to protect the safety of journalists, and to uphold the right of everyone ‘to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers’ without interference – as set out in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We must be vigilant in our collective striving to ensure the highest degree of protection for journalists, in seeking to create safe and enabling environments for them to perform their work independently and without undue interference, and in combating impunity for crimes and violence against them.
We therefore encourage all Commonwealth member states to advance the operative recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on the safety of journalists adopted by consensus in September 2014.
As we observe World Press Freedom Day 2015 let us celebrate press freedom and media diversity as essential elements in building societies in which all points of view can be freely expressed, and in which Commonwealth values can be advanced for the benefit of all.