Press freedom

Ever since its foundation in 1945, UNESCO has advocated for the implementation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in a number of ways. Key elements of this goal are pluralism in the media and independent media in all countries of the world, as well as independent journalism with no restrictions by repression and censorship.
The Declaration of Windhoek, which defined the requirements for press freedom and pluralism in the media in Africa in 1991, is an important milestone for these efforts made by UNESCO. This Declaration also encouraged the idea to declare 3 May as World Press Freedom Day . Since then, UNESCO has celebrated 3 May every year with a topical conference and awards the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, which is named in honour of the assassinated Colombian journalist.
In Austria, Reporters Without Borders Austria also awards the Press Freedom Award with a prize of €15,000 every year. This prize is under the patronage of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO.

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The Declaration of Windhoek, which defined the requirements for press freedom and pluralism in the media in Africa in 1991, constitutes an important milestone for these endeavours. In the following years, the principles of the Declaration of Windhoek were expanded to Asia, South America and the Arab world. In 1991, there was also the idea to declare 3 May as World Press Freedom Day . Since then, UNESCO has celebrated 3 May every year with a topical conference and awards the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, which is named in honour of the assassinated Colombian journalist. The first laureates were journalists who were imprisoned while carrying out their work: Chinese journalist Gao Yu in 1997 and Nigerian journalist Christina Anyanwu in 1998. Both journalists were released soon after being awarded the prize. In 2007, the prize was awarded posthumously for the first time to the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya for her courageous reports on Chechnya.

Press freedom in Austria
Every year, the Austrian Commission for UNESCO celebrates World Press Freedom Day on 3 May alongside Reporters Without Borders to draw attention to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the violations of freedom of opinion and expression. Every year, Reporters Without Borders Austria also awards the Press Freedom Award with a prize of €15,000. This prize is under the patronage of the Austrian Commission for UNESCO.