World Press Freedom Day Date in the current year: May 3, 2024

World Press Freedom Day marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration. It is a statement of press freedom principles, which was put together by a group of African journalists during the UNESCO seminar held in the Namibian city of Windhoek from April 29 to May 3, 1991.

World Press Day focuses on raising awareness about the importance of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. It also celebrates the fundamental principles outlined in the Windhoek Declaration and honors the memory of the journalists who have died in the line of duty.

On this day, media professionals, representatives of press freedom organizations and UN agencies gather to discuss the state of press freedom worldwide and to find new ways to protect the media against the attacks on their independence.

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, UNESCO awards the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to a person, institution, or organization that has made a significant contribution to the promotion or defense of press freedom. The Prize was named after a Colombian journalist Guillermo Cana Isaza who was assassinated in 1986 in front of his newspaper's offices.