UNESCO promotes freedom of expression and freedom of the
press as a basic human right.
UNESCO, in keeping with its Constitution, advocates the
basic human right of freedom of expression, enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and its corollary,
press freedom. Indeed, since its creation in 1945, UNESCO has
been called upon to “promote the free flow of ideas by word
and image”, and the Organization’s Member States have
repeatedly confirmed this mandate over the years in decisions
adopted by the General Conference, the highest authority of
the United Nations agency. UNESCO promotes freedom of
expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right.
Public’s right of access to information
A free press is not a luxury that can wait for better
times; rather, it is part of the very process which can bring
about better times. Freedom of the press should not be viewed
solely as the freedom of journalists to report and comment. It
is strongly correlated with the public’s right of access to
knowledge and information. Communication often acts as a
catalyst for the development of civil society and the full
exercise of free expression enables all parts of society to
exchange views and find solutions to social, economic and
political problems. Free media play a crucial role in building
consensus and sharing information, both essential to
democratic decision-making and to social development.
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