Windhoek Declaration

Declaration of Windhoek on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, 1991 - Memory of the World

The Windhoek Declaration is a statement of press freedom principles made by African newspaper journalists in 1991. This declaration led to the UN General Assembly’s proclamation of 3 May as World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) in 1993, following a recommendation from UNESCO's 26th General Conference in 1991. WPFD has since become UNESCO flagship event celebrated annually. In 2021, the Windhoek +30 Declaration on Information as a Public Good was adopted during UNESCO’s General Conference. As the first in a series of such declarations around the world, the document is seen as widely influential and as a crucial affirmation of the international community’s commitment to press freedom.