Today is the World Press Freedom Day.

The 3rd of May was chosen because just on this day the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by newspaper journalists in Africa during a UNESCO seminar on “Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press” in Windhoek, Namibia, Africa, which urged the governments to ensure free, independent, pluralistic media worldwide, characterizing free press as essential to democracy and as a fundamental human right.

The World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 1993.

Article 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia provides: “Everyone shall have the right to freely express his opinion. No one shall be forced to recede or change his opinion.

Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression including freedom to search for, receive and impart information and ideas by any means of information regardless of state borders.”

The same articles provide that Freedom of mass media and other means of mass information shall be guaranteed. The state shall guarantee the existence and activities of an independent and public radio and television service offering a variety of informational, cultural and entertainment programs.

The mentioned above constitutional regulation proves that the Republic of Armenia has started the process of ensuring our dream to have a free press long ago. Today it is an undeniable fact that Armenia had undertaken major steps to protect the freedom of press. To our great pleasure, a notable evidence of this fact is that the reports of a number of international organizations also confirm that there is a notable progress towards the freedom of press in Armenia.

I congratulate all my colleagues and wish them fruitful, qualified and productive work.

From the Facebook page of Mr. Arsen Babayan, Head of the International Cooperation Public Relations Service of the Judicial Department of the RA.

Source: Iravaban.net