Ghana to host 2018 World Press Freedom Day

As the world prepares to mark the 25th World Press Freedom Day, Ministry of Information has stepped up to oversee the organisation of the event in Ghana.

The two-day event is expected to take place in Accra from the 3rd to the 4th of May 2018 and will bring together leading actors from the media, civil society, policy makers, representatives of the judiciary, and academia to discuss latest developments and pressing challenges related to press freedom and the safety of journalists

The Information Ministry in collaboration with UNESCO have formed a multi-stakeholder steering committee to oversee the planning of the event.

Reacting to the choice of Ghana to host the event, Ambassador of Ghana to UNESCO, Anna Bossman stressed, “In accepting to host the 2018 edition of the World Press Freedom Day, Ghana wishes to demonstrate her commitment to the promotion of freedom of press within our national territorial boundaries, the African continent as a whole and the global community in general.”

The event to be supervised by the Information Ministry is expected to include a range of plenary and breakout sessions, an academic conference on safety of journalists, a youth newsroom and photo exhibitions among others

The theme for next year’s event to be hosted by Ghana, “Media, Justice and the Rule of law” will focus on impact of media and judiciary in ensuring rule of law and upholding rights to freedom and expression.

It will also assess the role of the media and judiciary in addressing crimes against journalists especially as the world continues to witness cases of harassment, attacks and killing of journalists and media workers in the line of duty.

The 2018 celebration of World Press Freedom Day in Accra, Ghana will be the fourth time the occasion is marked on the continent and is expected to be marked in over 100 countries across the globe.

World Press Freedom Day has been celebrated annually since 1993, when the UN General Assembly proclaimed 3 May as World Press Freedom Day.