(PINA/IFEX) – The following is a 6 April 1999 PINA press release: Radio, television, and newspapers are being used to promote World Press Freedom Day in the Pacific Islands and celebrate fifty years of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. PINA, with support from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation […]
(PINA/IFEX) – The following is a 6 April 1999 PINA press release:
Radio, television, and newspapers are being used to promote World Press
Freedom Day in the Pacific Islands and celebrate fifty years of Article 19
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. PINA, with support from the
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),
is coordinating a major regional campaign. This emphasises to the people
that “Media Freedom is Your Freedom” and highlights Article 19. It leads up
to World Press Freedom Day celebrations on 3 May 1999.
Television and radio spots, posters, and bookmarks have been produced for
distribution to PINA’s members in twenty one Pacific Islands countries and
territories. They are in both the main languages of the region, English and
French. They all promote Article 19, which says: “Everyone has the right to
freedom of information and expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information
and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
As well, Article 19 has been translated into all the main local languages of
the countries and territories from which PINA’s members come. These
translations have been compiled into a special UNESCO/PINA publication for
distribution throughout the region. This also includes World Press Freedom
Day messages from UNESCO’s Director-General, Federico Mayor, and PINA’s
president, William Parkinson, plus other special articles on media freedom
and Article 19. As well, it highlights the Declaration of Almaty, from the
UNESCO seminar on promoting an independent and pluralistic Asian and Pacific
media.
PINA’s main regional celebration on 3 May will be held in Suva to coincide
with the opening of two major regional workshops being coordinated by the
UNESCO-supported PINA Pacific Journalism Development Centre. Participants
from PINA members around the region will be in the Fiji Islands for these
workshops, which are funded by AusAID, and will join in the celebrations. As
well, PINA members throughout the region will coordinate their own national
celebrations.
