IPRA echoes the UN’s Finlandia Declaration on press freedom

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8 years, 6 months ago

At a World Press Freedom Day conference in Helsinki, media practitioners, representatives of governments and civil society adopted the “Finlandia Declaration,” calling on UNESCO’s 195 Member States to “reaffirm that press freedom and the right to information are essential for a free, independent and pluralistic media and crucial to the advancement of human rights and sustainable development.”

“IPRA members can play an important role to communicate this message from World Press Freedom Day, especially that access to information and safety of journalists are essential to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” said Barbara Burns, IPRA representative to the UN who along with IPRA board member Jim McQueeny, attended the meeting.

World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2016, was also commemorated at UN headquarters in New York with panel discussions on press freedom and access to information, sponsored by the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) and UNESCO. For the text of the Finlandia Declaration see:

https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/finlandia_declaration_3_may_2016.pdf

Meanwhile, the UN DPI is preparing for its NGOs conference taking place in the historic city of Gyeongju, Republic of Korea, 30 May - 1 June 2016. The Conference theme of “Education for Global Citizenship: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Together” will attract over 2000 NGO representatives from around the globe. More at:

http://outreach.un.org/ngorelations/conference-2016

Background to IPRA

IPRA, the International Public Relations Association, is the leading global network for Public Relations professionals. Membership is individual not corporate. It aims to further the development of open communication and the ethical practice of public relations. IPRA fulfils this aim through networking opportunities, its code of conduct and intellectual leadership of the profession. IPRA is the organiser of the annual Golden World Awards for excellence – PR's global awards scheme. With 60 years of experience, IPRA, recognised by the United Nations, is now present throughout the world wherever public relations are practiced. IPRA welcomes all those within the profession who share its aim and who wish to be part of the IPRA worldwide fellowship. For more information please visit: www.ipra.org

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