The EU Delegation in Georgia released a statement in connection with World Press Freedom Day, observed on May 3.

“Today, we mark the annual World Press Freedom Day for the 30th time, with UNESCO’s theme for WPFD2023: “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other human rights”.

The WPFD serves as a reminder that press freedom and access to information are critically important. Media and journalists play an essential role: they help verify and disseminate facts, create spaces for ideas to be debated and for the voiceless to be heard.

Protecting media freedom is everyone’s concern, because:

The free and pluralistic press is an integral part of resilient democracies;

Access to reliable information is a condition for all human rights and accomplished democracy;

Press freedom means media can reveal injustices, hold the powerful into account and fight corruption;

Legal threats and abusive litigation against media are a serious threat to human rights and democracy;

The right to free expression is enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Freedom of expression is a core value of the EU. We support pluralism, freedom of expression and quality information in the EU, as well as in Georgia and globally,” reads the statement.