News Banjul The Gambia (MB)- For the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, the UNESCO Office in Quito has launched a new website dedicated to press freedom and the right to information in the Andean region. In addition to providing information about all activities organized by the UNESCO Quito Office, the website serves as a clearinghouse for educators and media professionals throughout the region.
Within the framework of worldwide actions to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO’s Office in Quito is focusing its regional activities and publications on the right to access information. Right to information laws have been adopted in eleven Latin American countries, with Brazil currently in the process of passing such law. This underscores the growing recognition in the region of this important corollary to freedom of expression.
The news website provides relevant and easily accessible information on the right to information, including background references, analysis papers, international standards and national laws, as well as recommended readings and links to related sites.
Journalists will find on the website a press kit that includes readily applicable media materials such as press releases, statistical summaries and resources on the state of right to information. Teachers will be able to use an educational packet that comprises classroom exercises, activities and materials designed to raise awareness among young people about the importance of freedom of expression and press freedom. These materials are also being circulated in the region through the National Commissions, civil society networks and UNESCO Associated Schools.
Information about the series of conferences and workshops that UNESCO’s Quito Office is organizing throughout the Andean region is also available on the website. The World Press Freedom Day 2010 website will be continually updated throughout the year to serve as an ongoing, regionally-specific clearinghouse about the right to information in Latin America.
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