World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of a UNESCO General Conference.

Since then every 3^rd of May is an anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek and is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. It is an opportunity to:

• Celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
• Assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
• Defend the media from attacks on their independence; and
• Pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.