The Windhoek Declaration Declarations on Promoting Independent and Pluralistic Media - May 3, 1991 Endorsed by the General Conference at its twenty-sixth session - 1991 We the participants in the United Nations/ United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, held in Windhoek, Namibia, from April 29 to May 3, 1991, Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Recalling General Assembly resolution 59(I) of 14 December 1946 stating that freedom of information is a fundamental human right, and General Assembly resolution 45/76 A of 11 December 1990 on information in the service of humanity, Recalling resolution 25C/104 of the General Conference of UNESCO of 1989 in which the main focus is the promotion of “the free flow of ideas by word and image at international as well as national levels”, Noting with appreciation the statements made by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Public Information and the Assistant Director-General for Communication, Information and Informatics of UNESCO at the opening of the Seminar, Expressing our sincere appreciation to the United Nations and UNESCO for organizing the Seminar, Expressing also our sincere appreciation to all the intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental bodies and organizations, in particular the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which contributed to the United Nations/UNESCO effort to organize the Seminar, Expressing our gratitude to the Government and people of the Republic of Namibia for their kind hospitality which facilitated the success of the Seminar, Declare that: 1. Consistent with article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the establishment, maintenance and fostering of an independent, pluralistic and free press is essential to the development and maintenance of democracy in a nation, and for economic development. 2. By an independent press, we mean a press independent from governmental, political or economic control or from control of materials and infrastructure essential for the production and dissemination of newspapers, magazines and periodicals. 3. By a pluralistic press, we mean the end of monopolies of any kind and the existence of the greatest possible number of newspapers, magazines and periodicals reflecting the widest possible range of opinion within the community. So This Is Democracy? 2008 -294- Media Institute of Southern Africa