Declarations on Promoting Independent
and Pluralistic Media - 3 May 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 Organization
Seminar on Promoting an Independent
and Pluralistic African Press, held in
Windhoek, Namibia, from 29 April to 3
May 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-



6R7KLVLV'HPRFUDF\"

SecretaryGeneral 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 nongovernmental
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

Select target paragraph3