International Press Centre (IPC), represented by IPC’s Director Lanre Arogundade attended the UNESCO’s annual World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), that took place in Finland, Helsinki. The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness on the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression as revered under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991.

UNESCO marks World Press Freedom Day by conferring the UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on a deserving individual, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of

press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger. Created in 1997, the prize is awarded on the recommendation of an independent jury of 14 news professionals. Names are submitted by regional and international non-governmental organizations working for press freedom, and by UNESCO member states.

The Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogotá, on 17 December 1986. Cano’s writings had offended Colombia’s powerful drug barons.

UNESCO also marks World Press Freedom Day each year by bringing together media professionals, press freedom organizations and UN agencies to assess the state of press freedom worldwide and discuss solutions for addressing challenges. Each conference is centered on a theme related to press freedom, including good governance, media coverage of terrorism, impunity and the role of media in post-conflict countries.

The 2016 World Press Freedom Day celebration is held in Finland Helsinki, Finland  with the theme “Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms” on May 1–4.

Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist from Azerbaijan, was chosen to receive the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Ismayilova was yesterday night awarded UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2016 at an event attended by over 1000 journalists in Finladia hall, Helsinki, Finland. She was not able to attend in person as she is serving a jail term following her investigative reports on corruption by the Azerbaijan president and his family. The
award was received from the President of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2016 Jury by her mother Ms. Ismayilova.

Ms Ismayilova, a freelance journalist and contributor to the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe, was detained in December 2014, and, in September 2015, was sentenced to seven and a half years’ imprisonment on charges relating to abuse of power and tax evasion.

The Prize was awarded during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day, 3 May, hosted by Finland this year.

Created by UNESCO’s Executive Board in 1997, the annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize honours a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and, or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, and especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.

The $25,000 Prize is named in honour of Guillermo Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador, in Bogotá, on 17 December 1986. It is funded by the Cano Foundation (Colombia) and the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (Finland).