(WAN/IFEX) – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan met with a delegation from the World Association of Newspapers on 14 April 1998 to discuss global press freedom and the UN’s role in curbing violence against media and repression of a free press. In an interview with the delegation, held at UN headquarters in New York, the […]
(WAN/IFEX) – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan met with a delegation from the
World Association of Newspapers on 14 April 1998 to discuss global press
freedom and the UN’s role in curbing violence against media and repression
of a free press.
In an interview with the delegation, held at UN headquarters in New York,
the Secretary General discussed subjects including his position on efforts
by some governments to control the free flow of information, the impact of
UN reforms on journalistic coverage of its activities, and the evolution of
press freedom in Africa and elsewhere.
His comments are being released to 15,000 newspapers world-wide for
publication on 3 May 1998, World Press Freedom Day, as part of a package of
essays, interviews, public service advertisements and graphics the World
Association of Newspapers has produced to commemorate the day.
Several of the questions WAN put to Mr. Annan came from a jail cell in
Cameroon. The interviewing team was to include Pius Njawe, publisher of “Le
Messager” in Douala, who recently was sentenced to two years detention for
“spreading false news.” Mr. Njawe sent written questions to the meeting (for
more information on this case see IFEX alerts).
The Secretary General was informed about the case, which was reaffirmed on
appeal on 14 April 1998, with the sentence reduced to one year.
The delegation included WAN President Jayme Sirotsky, Chairman of the Board
of the Brazilian multi-media company RBS – Brazil; Gebran Tueni, Publisher
and CEO of the “An Nahar” newspaper in Lebanon; Pedro Ramirez,
editor-in-chief of Spain’s “El Mundo” newspaper; WAN Director General
Timothy Balding; and WAN Director of Communications Larry Kilman.
Requests for the full text of the interview with Secretary General Annan for
publication on 3 May 1998 can be directed to the WAN Secretariat by mail,
fax or e-mail at contact_us@wan.asso.fr.
WAN, the global association of the newspaper industry, represents more than
15,000 newspapers in over 90 countries.
