World Press Freedom Day 2021 recognizes the 30th anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a document created and signed by a group of African journalists at a UNESCO seminar in 1991 in Windhoek, Namibia.
The date of its adoption, May 3, became World Press Freedom Day.
UNESCO, recognizing the transformed media landscape, is reaffirming the principles of the Windhoek Declaration – acknowledging that information is a public good – and calling for an open internet to allow the free flow of information.
But in many countries, the struggle for access to an open internet continues.
Censorship and repression on the internet take many forms. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) regularly censors words, phrases, and names published online that it considers anti-communist and anti-government. It also restricts access to many websites.
Government-imposed internet shutdowns and network restrictions also inhibit freedom of expression, including for members of the press. In Venezuela, the government uses electricity and internet blackouts to inhibit access to information and control potential political unrest.
In Cuba, the government has restricted the country’s internet access to prevent independent media and journalists from reporting on government repression.
Organizations like Access Now and the Freedom Online Coalition are working to expand internet freedom and respect for freedom of expression for everyone around the world.
The Freedom Online Coalition is a group of 32 governments, including the United States, that support internet freedom and work to ensure free expression, association, assembly, and online privacy for all, everywhere.
“At a time when internet repression is on the rise and the associated policy issues have become one of the most intensely discussed international topics, the Coalition has a vital role to play in promoting the values of democracy and human rights online,” says its mission statement.
Access Now is a global non-governmental organization (NGO) that advocates for and protects internet freedom everywhere. Its 2020 Keep It On report [PDF, 6 MB] documents 155 cases of internet shutdowns around the world, preventing citizens from accessing information and a free press.
The NGO’s 24/7 hotline allows activists, journalists, and human rights defenders from any continent (except Antarctica) to report and document internet repression.
“In the last 10 years, the entire spectrum of human rights is now enabled, facilitated, and accessed through the internet,” says Access Now. “We are prepared to deal with new technologies as they emerge, and to bring the implications for human rights to light.”