Message from Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the Occasion of World Press Freedom Day

教科文组织总干事奥德蕾·阿祖莱世界新闻自由日致辞

3 May 2021

2021年5月3日

Thirty years ago today, journalists, editors and publishers from across Africa gathered to draft a call for press freedom, the “Declaration of Windhoek on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press”. This landmark Declaration aimed to make the free flow of information a public good – a goal which still resonates today.

30年前的今天，来自非洲各地的记者、编辑和出版人齐聚一堂，起草了一份呼唤新闻自由的《促进非洲报刊独立和多元的温得和克宣言》。这一具有里程碑意义的宣言旨在使信息自由流动成为一项公共产品，这一目标至今仍在产生回响。

Since 1991, the information landscape has undergone tremendous changes, especially with the advent of the Internet and social media. We now have incredible opportunities to express ourselves, stay informed and connect with others. But we are also facing a rise in misinformation and hate speech, the upending of media business models and the concentration of power in the hands of just a few private companies.

自1991年以来，特别是随着互联网和社交媒体的出现，信息世界发生了巨大变化。我们现在拥有令人难以置信的机会来表达自我，了解信息，并与他人建立联系。但与此同时，我们也面临着错误信息和仇恨言论的增加、媒体商业模式的颠覆以及权力集中于少数几家私营公司手中等问题。

The pandemic has underlined the need for reliable information. It is independent journalism that has helped us make sense of this crisis. Journalists have reported from the field, even at great personal risk. Many have been threatened, detained, harassed – especially women. Sixty-two journalists were killed for their work in 2020, and many more lost their lives to COVID-19. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

大流行病突显了可靠信息的必要性。正是独立的新闻报道帮助我们了解这场危机。记者们冒着巨大的个人风险，进行实地报道。许多人遭受威胁、拘禁、骚扰——尤其是女性。2020 年，62名记者因工作而被杀害，还有更多的人因COVID-19而丧生。我们应对他们心存感激。

The pandemic has also exacerbated existing challenges, with numerous media now facing financial losses. The power of Internet platforms has been further entrenched, with lockdowns forcing much of daily life online. And false information and rumours have flourished, in some cases with fatal consequences.

这场大流行病也加剧了现有的挑战，许多媒体都面临着经济损失。由于封锁隔离迫使很多日常生活内容转为线上，互联网平台的力量进一步得到巩固。虚假信息和谣言泛滥，在某些情况下造成致命的后果。

The theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, “Information as a Public Good”, underlines the indisputable importance of verified and reliable information. It calls attention to the essential role of free and professional journalists in producing and disseminating this information, by tackling misinformation and other harmful content.

今年世界新闻自由日的主题“将信息视为公共产品”，凸显了经核实的可靠信息所具有的毋庸置疑的重要性。它呼吁人们关注自由和专业记者通过处理错误信息和其他有害内容，在生产和传播经核实的可靠信息方面发挥的重要作用。

This theme ties in with UNESCO’s efforts to ensure the long-term health of independent, pluralistic journalism, and the safety of media workers everywhere, including through the UN Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

这一主题契合教科文组织主要通过《联合国关于记者安全和有罪不罚问题的行动计划》为确保独立和多元化新闻业的长期健康发展以及各地媒体工作者安全所作的努力。

As part of these efforts, we are working to create more transparency on online platforms in areas such as content moderation, while respecting human rights and international freedom of expression rules. We are equipping citizens with the Media and Information Literacy skills they need to navigate this new information landscape, so they can avoid being duped or manipulated online.

作为这些努力的一部分，我们正致力于在内容审核等领域提高在线平台的透明度，同时尊重人权并遵守国际表达自由规则。我们正帮助公民掌握必要的媒体与信息素养技能，以便其能够在新的信息环境中把握方向，从而避免在网上被人欺骗或操纵。

Today, we are also working to ensure that this changing landscape is reflected in the principles enshrined in the Windhoek Declaration, as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of this essential text at the World Press Freedom Conference being held in Windhoek, Namibia, on 2 and 3 May.

今天，我们还努力确保这一不断变化的环境在《温得和克宣言》所载的原则中得以反映，今年5月2日和3日将在纳米比亚温得和克举办世界新闻自由大会，纪念这一重要文书发布30周年。

As we mark World Press Freedom Day, I call on everyone to renew their commitment to the fundamental right to freedom of expression, to defend media workers, and to join us in ensuring that information remains a public good.

在我们纪念世界新闻自由日之际，我呼吁每个人对表达自由这一基本权利作出新的承诺，努力保护媒体工作者，并与我们一道确保信息始终是一项公共产品。