Namibia promotes ‘information as a public good’

The Namibia Media Trust (NMT) welcomes the resolution proposed by our government to the 41st session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) General Conference which is currently underway in Paris, France.

The resolution seeks endorsement by the Conference of the Windhoek+30 Declaration on Information as a Public Good, and further requests the Director-General of Unesco to ensure that support is given to activities that will facilitate the achievement of the goals of this Declaration.

We encourage other member states of Unesco to rally behind the resolution to ensure unanimous adoption, showing thereby the international community’s recognition of the key issues for our times, where information and communication play such an increasingly important role in democracy and sustainable development.

The Windhoek+30 Declaration was adopted in Namibia on 3 May, 2021, and marked the 30th anniversary of the seminal 1991 Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press. The Declaration elaborates on critical new and historic challenges to freedom of expression which require concerted global action by all stakeholders, and calls for renewed global commitment to freedom of expression, press freedom and freedom of information. Importantly, it also contains recommendations on promoting transparency and accountability in internet companies.

We applaud the commitment shown by our government to the promotion of press freedom, freedom of expression and access to information – elements that are critical to the achievement and sustainability of our development goals. Thus, we call on our government to commit itself fully – in word and deed – and to speak out in cases where the freedoms we enjoy as a country, are trampled elsewhere.

Yet again Namibia showcases itself as a trailblazer in the press freedom arena, befitting of the home of the Windhoek Declaration.

Zoé Titus
Director
Namibia Media Trust

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Namibia Media Trust (NMT)
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