By Maira Magro
Journalists and organizations throughout the world marked World Press Freedom Day Monday (May 3). UNESCO's conference in Australia about defending access to information ended with auma declaration asking countries to enact laws "guaranteeing the right to information in accordance with the internationally-recognized principle of maximum disclosure." See more information about the day's events.
Unesco also published a document about the status of such laws in Latin America, mentioning the 11 countries in the region that had already passed information laws. “The right to know is central for upholding other basic rights, for furthering transparency, justice and development" UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said.
The Inter American press Association (IAPA) voiced solidarity with the families of the 26 jornalistas killed and seven disappeared in the last 12 months in the Americas.
The World Association of Newspapers distributed a host of materials about press freedom themes, which are available here.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
