The role of media as a catalyst for social and political change.

World Press Freedom Day celebrates the power of the media to bring about social and political change

 

UNESCO will celebrate World Press Freedom Day (3 May) in Tunis this year, with a packed three-day programme of events focused on the role of media as a catalyst for social and political change.

One of the highlights of World Press Freedom Day 2012 will be the award ceremony on 3 May for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. This year’s laureate, Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist Eynulla Fatullayev, will attend the ceremony. Addresses will also be made by with the President of Tunisia Moncef Marzouki, and the Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova.

            On the morning of 4 May, the Director-General and the Prime Minister of Tunisia Hamed Jebali will open an international conference on the theme of  “New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies” .

The conference will divided into three debates, held over 4 and 5 May:

Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies: New Voices, Youth, and Social Media will look at how the convergence of social media, mobile connections and satellite television has generated growth in freedom of expression. This in turn unleashed the protest movement that began in Tunisia in December in 2010 before spreading through much of the Arab world and beyond.

            The Reshaping of the Media Landscape in aTransitional Environment is the subject of the second session. It will focus on the changes experienced by government-owned media and their ability to become public service operators that meet high journalistic standards in a self-regulating environment.

            Finally, a Special Plenary Session on Tunisia will examine the way forward for the media in the country. Participants will include  the Minister of Human Rights and Transitional Justice, Samir Dilou and international participants such as Abdelkrim Hizaoui, Director of the Centre africain de perfectionnement des journalistes et des communicateurs.

            For the first time, this year’s World Press Freedom Day event also includes a number of side events, organised by UNESCO’s press freedom partners, including non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, international media outlets and youth groups. Information about  these events is available online.

Journalists wishing to cover the conference and linked activities are invited to register here.

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World Press Freedom Day   programme

Media contacts

In Tunis: Mehdi Benchelah - m.benchelah(at)unesco.org

In Paris: Roni Amelan – r.amelam(at)unesco.org; +33 1 4568 1706

President Obama's Message to the People of Sudan and South Sudan

April 20, 2012 - The President is deeply committed to seeing Sudan and South Sudan become two economically prosperous states living side-by-side in peace.

Earth Day 2012 - President Barack Obama Message

• Presidential Actions • Proclamations

 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

April 20, 2012

Presidential Proclamation -- Earth Day

EARTH DAY, 2012

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans came together to celebrate the first Earth Day.  Students, teachers, activists, elected officials, and countless others challenged our Nation to confront our most urgent environmental issues and rallied around a single message:  the success of future generations depends upon how we act today.  As we commemorate Earth Day this year, we reflect on the challenges that remain before us and recommit to the spirit of togetherness and shared responsibility that galvanized a movement 42 years ago.
America rose to meet the call to action in the months and years that followed the first Earth Day.  We passed the Clean Air, Clean Water, Endangered Species, and Marine Mammal Protection Acts; founded the Environmental Protection Agency; and ignited a spirit of stewardship that has driven progress for over four decades.  Today, our air and water are cleaner, pollution has been greatly reduced, and Americans everywhere are living in a healthier environment.
While we have made remarkable progress in protecting our health and our natural heritage, we know our work is not yet finished.  Last July, my Administration proposed the toughest fuel economy standards in our Nation's history -- standards that will save families money at the pump, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and significantly reduce our dependence on oil.  In December, we finalized the first-ever national standards to limit mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants, helping safeguard the health of millions.  We have taken action to protect and restore our Nation's precious ecosystems, from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes.  And we continue to make landmark investments in batteries, biofuels, and renewable energy that are unlocking American innovation and ensuring our Nation stays on the cutting edge.  Our country is on the path to economic recovery and renewal, and moving forward, my Administration will continue to fight for a healthy environment every step of the way.

As we work to leave our children a safe, sustainable future, we must also equip them with the tools they need to take on tomorrow's environmental challenges.  Supporting environmental literacy and a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering, and math for every student will help ensure our youth have the skills and knowledge to advance our clean energy economy.  Last year, we launched the Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award to encourage more schools to pursue sustainability, foster health and wellness, and integrate environmental literacy into the curriculum.  In the days ahead, we look forward to awarding the first Green Ribbons and recognizing the accomplishments of green schools across our country.

Forty-two years ago, a generation rallied together to protect the earth we would inherit.  As we reflect on that historic day of activism and stewardship, let us embrace our commitment to the generations yet to come by leaving them a safe, clean world on which to make their mark.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 22, 2012, as Earth Day.  I encourage all Americans to participate in programs and activities that will protect our environment and contribute to a healthy, sustainable future.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

“Scientific findings on the impacts of human activities on the functioning of the Earth System,” President of the General Assembly

Remarks by the President of the General Assembly

Interactive Dialogue on Harmony with Nature to Commemorate International Mother Earth Day: “Scientific findings on the impacts of human activities on the functioning of the Earth System,” 18 April 2012

Under–Secretary-General Mr. Sha Zukang, and Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development,

Your Excellency Mr. Rafael Archondo, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations,
Eminent Professors,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentleman,

On behalf of the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, I am pleased to make the following remarks.

Quote:
Let me welcome each of you to this Interactive Dialogue on Harmony with Nature, in commemoration of International Mother Earth Day.

The theme of this year’s International Day is “Scientific findings on the impacts of human activities on the functioning of the Earth System”.

This apt theme was selected by Member States in General Assembly resolution 66/204, and is an implicit recognition of the importance of ensuring harmony with nature through science and multilateral action.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bolivia for initiating this important resolution.

Ladies and gentlemen,
Recent advances in Earth system science confirm that humanity is facing severe risks - risks that negatively impact human development and our existence on Earth.

During the past century, human activities on Earth have resulted in a significant increase of Green House Gas concentrations in the atmosphere, land degradation, the destruction of ecosystems and the depletion of Earth’s biodiversity.

Climate change, desertification and loss of biodiversity pose an unequivocal challenge for human development.

Economic growth associated with unsustainable patterns of consumption and production is hindering our quest for harmony, both within and between societies, as well as between humankind and the natural environment.

I would submit that the world today is deeply engaged in two of the greatest existential questions:
First, how can we sustain life while protecting the planet?
And second, what does that Earth require in order to support seven - soon to be nine - billion people?

We are, for the first time, acknowledging worldwide that the sustainability of life on earth is a serious question that will drive fundamental decisions in our societies and the world at large.

In making such decisions, academic research plays an important role in clarifying these global issues.
The contribution of science and innovation in achieving sustainable development cannot be underestimated.
The effective implementation of the results of scientific research can support, among other things, efficient resource utilization, environmental protection and poverty eradication.

I firmly believe that scientists must guide this new paradigm, and that the UN System should work together towards supporting a stronger science based on sustainable development.
I would encourage Member States to continue to support the academic sector as it explores and explains these profound issues.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is clear that we have to do more to address the issue of unsustainability.
As a human race, we have the resources, the scientific knowledge and the know-how to save our planet.

I believe that future work on this new paradigm should be supported by a globally recognized and coherent science base, that is capable of creating a strong science-policy interface for sustainable development.
This model would provide practical tools for utilizing natural resources in a more sustainable way, and safeguarding ecosystems by promoting social and economic development at all levels.

Our efforts for achieving sustainable development should be viewed as an investment in the future of humankind.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) is an opportunity to assess our relationship with nature over the last 20 years; to affirm commitments made in Rio and Johannesburg; and to inject new impetus and genuine innovation towards fostering a sustainable way forward.
The commemoration of the International Day of Mother Earth is therefore both timely and relevant, as we aim to have a successful outcome in Rio next June.

Thank you.

Mobilize The Earth Video

Earth Day is a day early each year on which events are held worldwide to increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth's natural environment. Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day.

Earth Day is planned for April 22 in all years at least through 2015.

The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the City of Saint Francis, patron saint of ecology. Earth Day was first observed in San Francisco and other cities on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a Proclamation signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations where it is observed each year. About the same time a separate Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in first held on April 22, 1970. While this April 22 Earth Day was focused on the United States, an organization launched by Denis Hayes, who was the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international in 1990 and organized events in 141 nations.

Numerous communities celebrate Earth Week, an entire week of activities focused on environmental issues.

The United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. It contains multiple subsidiary organizations to carry out its missions.

The UN System

	United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)  (Preparatory Commision) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	United Nations CyberSchoolBus - New York, USA (e-mail)
	Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC) (now CEB) and its former Subcommittees
	Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (e-mail)
	Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) - Santiago, Chile (e-mail)
	Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) - Bangkok, Thailand (e-mail)
	Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) - Beirut, Lebanon (e-mail
	Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) - Rome, Italy (e-mail)
	Global Programme on Globalization, Liberalization and Sustainable Human Development - Geneva, Switzerland [UNCTAD-UNDP] (e-mail)
	Former Inter-Agency Committee on Sustainable Development (IACSD) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) (former IACWGE) - New York, USA
	Inter-Agency Procurement Services Office (IAPSO) - Copenhagen, Denmark (e-mail)
	International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) - Washington, USA  [World Bank Group] (e-mail)
	International Bureau of Education (IBE) - Geneva, Switzerland [UNESCO] (e-mail)
	International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)  - Trieste, Italy [UNIDO] (e-mail)
	International Centre for Science and High Technology (ICS) - Trieste, Italy [UNIDO] (e-mail)
	International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) - Washington, USA [World Bank Group] (e-mail)
	Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) - Trieste, Italy [UNESCO/IAEA] (e-mail)
	International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - Montreal, Canada (e-mail)
	International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	International Computing Centre (ICC) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail
	International Court of Justice (ICJ) - The Hague, The Netherlands (e-mail)
	International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) - The Hague, The Netherlands (e-mail)
	International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) - Arusha, Tanzania (e-mail)
	International Development Association (IDA) - Washington, USA [World Bank Group] (e-mail)
	International Finance Corporation (IFC) - Washington, USA [World Bank Group] (e-mail)
	International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) - Rome, Italy (e-mail)
	International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) - Paris, France [UNESCO] (e-mail)
	International Institute on Ageing (INIA) - Valetta, Malta (e-mail)
	International Labour Organization (ILO) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	International Maritime Organization (IMO) - London, UK (e-mail)
	International Monetary Fund (IMF) - Washington, USA (e-mail)
	International Seabed Authority (ISA) - Kingston, Jamaica (e-mail)
	International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)  - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	International Trade Centre (ITC) - Geneva, Switzerland [UNCTAD/WTO] (e-mail
	International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC/ILO) - Turin, Italy (e-mail)
	Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail
	Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) - Washington, USA [World Bank Group] (e-mail)
	United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS) - Geneva, Switzerland and New York, USA (e-mail)
	Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) - Geneva, Switzerland and New York, USA  (e-mail)
	Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) - The Hague, The Netherlands (e-mail)
	Panel of External Auditors of the United Nations, the Specialized Agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency - New York, USA (e-mail)
	ReliefWeb - Geneva, Switzerland [OCHA] (e-mail)
	United Nations (UN) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Atlas of the Oceans - Washington, USA
	United Nations Board of Auditors - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Capital Development Fund - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	United Nations Common Supplier Database (UNCSD) - Oslo, Norway (e-mail)
	United Nations Communications Group (former JUNIC) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) - Bonn, Germany (e-mail)
	United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) (now UNODC)- Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	United Nations Development Group (UNDG) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Paris, France (e-mail)
	United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Nairobi, Kenya (e-mail)
	United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) -  New York, USA  (e-mail)
	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - Bonn, Germany (e-mail)
	United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG)  -  New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Office of the (OHCHR) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Office of the (UNHCR) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT)- Nairobi, Kenya (e-mail)
	United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force (UNICT TF)  - New York, USA  (e-mail)
	United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations International School (UNIS) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) - Rome, Italy (e-mail
	United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Mine Action Service - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (formely UNDCP) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) - Nairobi, Kenya (e-mail)
	United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) - Vienna, Austria (e-mail)
	United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) - Gaza, Gaza Strip and Amman, Jordan (e-mail)
	United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	United Nations Resident Coordinators Network (RCNet) - New York, USA (e-mail)
	United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) - Vienna, Austria  (e-mail)
	UN System Network on Rural Development and Food Security -  Rome, Italy [FAO/IFAD] (e-mail)
	United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) - Turin, Italy (e-mail)
	United Nations University (UNU) - Tokyo, Japan (e-mail)
	United Nations Volunteers (UNV) - Bonn, Germany (e-mail)
	UN Women - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (e-mail)
	United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) - Madrid, Spain  (e-mail)
	Universal Postal Union (UPU) - Bern, Switzerland (e-mail)
	WomenWatch - New York, USA (e-mail)
	World Bank Group - Washington, USA (e-mail)
	World Food Programme (WFP) - Rome, Italy (e-mail)
	World Health Organization (WHO) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	World Meteorological Organization (WMO) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	World Trade Organization (WTO) - Geneva, Switzerland (e-mail)
	World Volunteer Web - Bonn, Germany [UNV] (e-mail)