Kathmandu, May 3: The World Press Freedom Day is being observed today across the globe including in Nepal.
May 3 each year is marked as World Press Freedom Day in commemoration of the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent and Pluralistic Press in Windhoek in Namibia in 1991. The Day was first observed in 1993 following the recommendation of UNESCO.
This year, the Day is observed with the theme of “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis”.
On this occasion, the 31st edition of World Press Freedom is being organized by UNESCO and the government of Chile in Santiago, the Capital City of Chile.
Minister Sharma says govt. committed to protecting press freedom
Meanwhile, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has said that democracy will not be complete without freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
In a message of best wishes on the occasion of World Press Freedom today, Minister Sharma has recalled the contributions of all who sacrificed their lives in the struggles waged for freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
Minister Sharma has stated that the government was committed to protecting and implementing complete press freedom, which is stated in the preamble of the Constitution of Nepal.
In her message, Minister Sharma shared that the government is working in the drafting and review of media-related laws since last year to ensure further press freedom.
The government has given priority to drafting laws in a transparent and democratic process by taking feedback from stakeholders and citizens, according to the Minister for Communications and Information Technology.
Likewise, she has shared that the Media Council Bill, which is focused on the promotion of self-regulation of mass media, was registered in the Federal Parliament recently.
Minister Sharma has also said that the government is closely watching the concerns of national and international organizations active in the field of press freedom.
In her message, Minister Sharma has expressed a firm determination for the professional and physical security of journalists and added that the government is committed to ensuring the rights of working journalists as per the legal process and facilitating to end labour issues seen in different media houses.
