World Press Freedom Day - 3 May

Theme 2012:
New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day. It is an opportunity to:

• celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
• assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
• defend the media from attacks on their independence;
• pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The recent uprisings in some Arab States have highlighted the power of the media, the human quest for freedom of expression and the confluence of press freedom and freedom of expression through various traditional and new media.
This has given rise to an unprecedented level of media freedom. New media have enabled civil society, young people and communities to bring about massive social and political transformations by self-organizing, and engaging the global youth in the fight to be able to freely express themselves and the aspirations of their wider communities.
Yet, media freedom is fragile, and it is also not yet within the reach of everyone. Furthermore, as more reporting is transmitted online, more and more online journalists including bloggers are being harnessed, attacked and even killed for their work.

 

 

Freedom of Expression, a Human Right

Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right as stated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

"Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

Media freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of empowering people. Empowerment is a multi-dimensional social and political process that helps people gain control over their own lives. This can only be achieved through access to accurate, fair and unbiased information, representing a plurality of opinions, and the means to actively communicate vertically and horizontally, thereby participating in the active life of the community.

2011 in figures

• 66 journalists killed
• 71 journalists kidnapped
• 1,044 journalists arrested
• 1,959 journalists physically attacked or threatened
• 499 media censored
• 68 countries subject to Internet censorship

Source: Reporters Without Borders

However, in order to make freedom of expression a reality, there must be:

• a legal and regulatory environment that allows for an open and pluralistic media sector to emerge;
• a political will to support the sector and rule of law to protect it;
• laws ensuring access to information, especially information in the public domain; and
• the necessary media literacy skills among news consumers to critically analyze and synthesize the information they receive to use it in their daily lives and to hold the media accountable for its actions.

These elements, along with media professionals adhering to the highest ethical and professional standards designed by practitioners, serve as the fundamental infrastructure on which freedom of expression can prevail. On this basis media serves as a watchdog, civil society engages with authorities and decision-makers, information flows through and between communities.

Freedom of Information

The fuel that drives this engine is information and therefore access to information is critical. Freedom of information laws, which permit access to public information are essential, but so are the means by which information is made available, be it through ICTs or the simple sharing of documents.
Information can change the way we see the world around us, our place in it, and how to adjust our lives in order to maximize the benefits available through our local resources. Fact driven decision-making can significantly alter our political, social and economic perspectives. Therefore, open and pluralistic media are, perhaps, most precious when they simply provide the mirror for society to see itself. These moments of reflection are instrumental in defining community objectives, making course corrections when society or its leaders have lost touch with each other or gone astray.
The right to access information can be interpreted within the legal frameworks that support freedom of information as it applies to information held by public bodies, or in a wider sense to encompass both access and circulation of information held by other actors, where it becomes intrinsically linked to freedom of expression.
Freedom of information and the transparency it promotes, has a direct consequence on fighting corruption, which in turn has a tangible impact on development. Former World Bank president James Wolfensohn often identified government corruption as the primary hindrance to development and an independent media sector as the number one tool to fight public corruption.

Press Freedom and Governance

Ensuring freedom for the media around the world is a priority. Independent, free and pluralistic media are central to good governance in democracies that are young and old. Free media:

• can ensure transparency, accountability and the rule of law;
• promote participation in public and political discourse, and
• contribute to the fight against poverty.

An independent media sector draws its power from the community it serves and in return empowers that community to be full a partner in the democratic process.
Freedom of information and freedom of expression are the founding principles for open and informed debate. New technology will continue to evolve and allow citizens to further shape their media environments as well as access a plurality of sources. The combination of access to information and citizen participation in media can only contribute to an increased sense of ownership and empowerment.

Secretary-General's message for World Press Freedom Day 2012

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

New York, 3 May 2012 - Secretary-General's message for World Press Freedom Day

 In an era of rapid and often momentous change, the value of a vigorous, independent and pluralistic press is undeniable.

Over the past year and a half of transformation across the Middle East and North Africa, social media, mobile telephones and satellite television have played a central part in generating an extraordinary ripple effect: from a vegetable seller’s simple cry for human dignity to the fall of autocratic regimes and the possibility that millions of people will enjoy, for the first time, democracy and opportunities so long denied.

This role is highlighted by the theme of this year’s observance of World Press Freedom Day: New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies.

A free press gives people access to the information they need to make critical decisions about their lives. It holds leaders accountable, exposes corruption, and promotes transparency in decision-making.  It raises awareness and offers an outlet for different voices, especially those that would otherwise go unheard.

But press freedom remains fragile.  Every day, journalists face dire threats as they try to carry out their work.  Last year, more than 60 journalists were killed worldwide, and many more were injured.  As of 1 December 2011, 179 journalists were detained, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists – an increase of 20 per cent over the year before, and the highest level since the 1990s.  Countless others were silenced or censored by governments, corporations and powerful individuals.  Yet impunity for those who attack or threaten journalists remains disturbingly prevalent.

I am outraged that attacks on journalists are on the rise.  I call on all concerned to prevent and prosecute such violence.  Defenders of a free press are safeguarding our rights and we must, in turn, ensure theirs.

In September last year, the United Nations held its first-ever inter-agency meeting devoted to the safety of journalists.  The meeting produced a comprehensive Plan
of Action, and the UN system is now mobilizing to intensify our efforts to raise awareness, help Member States strengthen legal frameworks and encourage them to investigate attacks against journalists.

As we mark World Press Freedom Day, let us pledge to do our utmost to ensure that journalists can perform their work -- in new and traditional media alike -- which makes an indispensable contribution to building stronger, healthier and more peaceful societies.

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Statements on 3 May 2012

• New York, 3 May 2012 - Secretary-General's remarks on World Press Freedom Day

IRINA bokava Message for World Press Freedom Day 2012

World Press Freedom Day Logo English Version
UNESCO Director-General message on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day 
 

Source: youtube.com via Christina on Pinterest

World Asthma Day 2012 - NIH statement

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

---

For Immediate Release
Monday, April 30, 2012

Contact:
NIAID Office of Communications
301-402-1663

NHLBI Office of Communications
301-496-4236

NIEHS Office of Communications
919-541-0073

NICHD Office of Communications
301-496-5133

NIH statement on World Asthma Day 2012 - May 1, 2012

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
Susan B. Shurin, M.D., Acting Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute,
Linda S. Birnbaum, Ph.D., Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., Director, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

On World Asthma Day 2012, we at the National Institutes of Health stand with the Global Initiative for Asthma to renew our dedication to improving the quality of life for the millions of people living with asthma.
Asthma affects more than 230 million people worldwide, including more than 25 million people in the United States. There is no way to prevent, or to cure, asthma. Existing treatments focus on preventing or controlling disease symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing. Despite these efforts, each year more than half of children and one-third of adults with asthma in the United States miss school or work because of the disease, approximately 17 million people require medical attention because of an asthma episode, and more than 3,000 asthma-related deaths occur.
Four NIH institutes — the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS); and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) — support basic and clinical research to understand the causes of asthma and the factors that contribute to its progression. Although each institute has a different focus, we all work together to help develop effective prevention and treatment strategies for the disease.
In March 2012, NIH, together with the Merck Childhood Asthma Network Inc., and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, published a report that for the first time promotes standardization across asthma clinical studies. Asthma Outcomes in Clinical Research: Report of the Asthma Outcomes Workshop establishes common measures and data-collection methods to enable researchers to compare their results more efficiently. This standardization promises to enhance asthma clinical research and lead to improvements in the quality of asthma care.
In August 2011, NIH held a workshop, The Early Life Origins of Asthma: Strategies for Primary Prevention. Asthma typically begins early in childhood, and the goal of the workshop was to identify specific factors that may predict a person’s risk of developing asthma during the first 1,000 days of life. Such factors include environmental exposures, genetics and events that occur in pregnancy and early infancy. Workshop attendees concluded that understanding the early risk factors for asthma may provide an opportunity to prevent asthma before it begins.
NIH remains committed to working with individuals, families and health care professionals to reduce the worldwide burden of asthma. We commend our investigators who continue to make significant progress in asthma research, and we thank the people who have participated in NIH-sponsored asthma clinical studies, as well as to the nongovernmental organizations that provide support for those affected by this disease. We all share the hope that further research will uncover the causes of asthma so that the disease can one day be effectively prevented.
NIAID supports studies of the immune system's role in the development of asthma and evaluates new approaches to treat and prevent the disease. NHLBI funds a broad asthma research portfolio — including studies on risk factors, mechanisms that influence disease severity, and identifying novel therapies — and the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, which translates research into clinical practice to improve asthma control and quality of life. NIEHS supports research to understand how exposures to environmental agents trigger asthma, and how we can better prevent, diagnose and treat such exposures. NICHD conducts and supports research on all stages of human development, including research directed to those early life stages when chronic diseases such as asthma might be prevented.
NIAID conducts and supports research — at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide — to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders. The Institute also administers national health education campaigns on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available online at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The NIEHS supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health and is part of NIH. For more information on environmental health topics, visit http://www.niehs.nih.gov. Subscribe to one or more of the NIEHS news lists (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/releases/newslist/index.cfm) to stay current on NIEHS news, press releases, grant opportunities, training, events, and publications.
About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): The NICHD sponsors research on development, before and after birth; maternal, child, and family health; reproductive biology and population issues; and medical rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Institute’s Web site at http://www.nichd.nih.gov. NICHD support was provided through the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act program, which seeks to improve pediatric therapeutics through preclinical and clinical drug trials that lead to drug labeling changes.
About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health

Message by Juan Somavia Director-General of the ILO on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work

In his message for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, celebrated 28 April of each year, the ILO Director General reiterated the need to focus on the promotion of safer and healthier workplaces in the transition to a greener economy.

Statement | 25 April 2012

On this World Day for Safety and Health at Work it is timely to focus on the opportunity to promote safer and healthier workplaces as part of decent work strategies in the transition to a greener economy.
The Rio +20 Summit will address the challenge of ensuring that sustainable development is built on economic growth and social equity as well as environmental protection. Realizing this vision of sustainable development requires integrated and mutually reinforcing policy approaches bringing together the needs of people and the planet, linking growth and fairness.
Protecting the right of all workers to a safe and healthy working environment respects human dignity and the dignity of work and is integral to a socially inclusive approach. This is why occupational safety and health is embedded in the goal of decent work and decent work for all is central to the social pillar of sustainable development.
ILO standards on occupational safety and health provide guidance to governments, employers and workers and their organizations, and all stakeholders on the prevention and management of occupational hazards and risks. They also give guidance on the control measures that prevent negative workplace impact on the environment.
Awareness raising and prevention underpin strategies to reduce the incidence of occupational injury, illness and fatalities. Social dialogue is a valuable and indispensable tool. All of these must feature prominently in the transition to a greener economy.
Experience has already shown that some substances while being more environmentally friendly could be more hazardous to workers’ health. Consequently, renewable energies, waste management and recycling, as well as the greening of traditional industries must be approached from the outset with an eye on the occupational safety and health challenges with the aim of eliminating old hazards and risks and preventing new ones from emerging.
Let us strive for a win-win situation for all – workers, families, communities, enterprises, economies, and the environment.
Let us make the safety and health of all workers – in the formal and informal economy – a primary and direct objective of policies and strategies for an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive green economy.
Let us opt for the approach that produces safe and healthy work in sustainable enterprises, poverty reduction and a growth path that yields more and better jobs.

Marking the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2012

World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2012: Promoting safety and health in a green economy

The 2012 World Day for Safety and Health at Work focuses on the promotion of occupational safety and health (OSH) in a green economy. There is a shift in the world to a greener and more sustainable economy. However, even if certain jobs are considered to be “green”, the technologies used may protect the environment but not be safe at all.

Type:	Campaign
When:	28 April 2012
Where:	Geneva
Contact(s):	safeday@ilo.org

As the green economy develops, it is essential that safety and health at work are integrated into green jobs policies. This implies integrating risk assessment and management measures in the life cycle analysis of all green jobs. A true green job must integrate safety and health into design, procurement, operations, maintenance, sourcing and recycling policies, certification systems and occupational safety and health quality standards. This is especially relevant for sectors such as construction, waste recycling, solar energy production and biomass processing.

Promoting safety and health in a green economy

A new report by the ILO launched for the World Day for Safety and Health at Work says the greening of the economy should be accompanied by the proper integration of workplace safety and health measures:

Report on "Promoting safety and health in a green economy"

The report looks at different “green industries” from an occupational safety and health perspective, and shows that while green jobs improve the environment, revitalize the economy and create new employment opportunities, they may also present a number of known and unknown risks for workers.

“Moving towards a green economy implies setting higher standards for environmental protection while, at the same time, incorporating workers' safety and health as an integral part of the strategy. The greening of the economy serves as an ideal platform for comprehensive methods to protect the workers, the general environment and the surrounding communities. Only then will we be contributing to an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive outcome, only then, will we achieve safe, healthy and decent work in a green economy”, Mr Seiji Machida, Director of the ILO Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork).
Find out more: Jobs in the green economy should be safe and healthy, ILO says

Questions and answers with Ms Manuela Tomei, Director of the Labour Protection Department Read the interview: Zooming in on the safety and health dimension of greening the economy

Marking the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2012

The ILO celebrates the World Day for Safety and Health at Work on the 28 April to promote the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases globally. It is an awareness-raising campaign intended to focus international attention on emerging trends in the field of occupational safety and health and on the magnitude of work-related injuries, diseases and fatalities worldwide. This year the campaign focuses on the safety and health dimension of greening the economy.
See also: Message by Juan Somavia, Director-General of the ILO

Promotional material

• Poster [‎pdf 1541KB]‎
• Postcard [‎pdf 212KB]‎
• Presentation [‎pdf 348KB]‎

Join the celebration

We invite you to join us in promoting this important date and the theme for this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work. Should you organize a related activity in your country or region, please let us know. Share with us your photos, press releases and links to your promotional activities for 28 April 2012. We will disseminate this information through our website after the event. We thank you in advance for your commitment.

Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el

Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo en el 2012: Promover la seguridad y la salud en una economía verde

El Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo en 2012 se centra en la promoción de la seguridad y la salud laboral en una economía verde. El mundo está evolucionando hacia una economía más verde y sostenible. Aunque ciertos trabajos sean considerados como 'verdes', las tecnologías utilizadas pueden proteger el medio ambiente pero no resultar en absoluto seguras.

Type:	Campaign
When:	28 April 2012
Where:	Ginebra
Contact(s):	safeday@ilo.org

A medida que la economía verde progresa, es esencial que la seguridad y salud en el trabajo se integre en las políticas de empleos verdes. Esto implica la integración de la evaluación de riesgos y de las medidas de gestión en el análisis del ciclo de vida de todos los empleos verdes. 

una economía más verde y sostenible

en el diseño, el suministro, el funcionamiento, el mantenimiento, las políticas de abastecimiento y reciclaje, los sistemas de certificación y las normas de calidad de seguridad y salud laboral. Esto es especialmente relevante en sectores como la construcción, el reciclaje de residuos, la producción de energía solar y el tratamiento de biomasa.

Promover la seguridad y la salud en una economía verde

Un nuevo informe de la OIT, publicado en ocasión del Día Mundial de la Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo, señala que la transición hacia una economía verde debería ser acompañada de la implementación de medidas sobre seguridad y salud ocupacional.

Informe: "Promover la seguridad y la salud en una economía verde"

El informe examina diferentes industrias verdes desde la perspectiva de la seguridad y la salud en el trabajo. El informe destaca que, aunque los trabajos verdes ayuden a mejorar el medio ambiente, a revitalizar la economía y a crear nuevas oportunidades de empleo, estos trabajos también presentan riesgos conocidos y desconocidos que amenazan la salud y el bienestar de la trabajadores.

“La transición hacia una economía verde supone el establecimiento de normas más estrictas para la protección del medioambiente y, al mismo tiempo, la integración de la seguridad y salud de los trabajadores como una parte esencial de esa estrategia. La ecologización de la economía constituye una plataforma ideal para la implementación de métodos dirigidos a proteger los trabajadores, el medioambiente y las comunidades. Sólo entonces contribuiremos a obtener un resultado ecológicamente sostenible y socialmente inclusivo. Sólo entonces lograremos trabajo seguro, saludable y decente en una economía verde”, Sr. Seiji Machida, Director del Programa OIT de seguridad y salud en el trabajo y medio ambiente (SafeWork).
Saber más: La OIT dice que los empleos en la economía verde deben ser seguros y saludables

Entrevista con Sra. Manuela Tomei, Directora del Departamento de la Protección de los trabajadores Leer la entrevista: Una mirada a la seguridad y salud ocupacional en la economía verde

Celebración del Día de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo 2012

La OIT celebra el Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo el 28 de abril con el fin de promover la prevención de accidentes de trabajo y enfermedades profesionales en todo el mundo. Se trata de una campaña de sensibilización cuyo objetivo es centrar la atención a nivel internacional sobre las nuevas tendencias en el ámbito de la seguridad y la salud en el trabajo y sobre la magnitud de las lesiones, enfermedades y muertes relacionadas con el trabajo.
Vea también: Mensaje de Juan Somavia, Director General de la OIT

Material promocional

• Póster [‎pdf 1526KB]‎
• Postal [‎pdf 212KB]‎
• Presentación [‎pdf 296KB]‎

Únase al evento

Le invitamos a unirse a nosotros en la promoción de esta importante fecha y en el tema de este Día Mundial de la Seguridad y la Salud en el Trabajo. Si usted está organizando una actividad relacionada en su país o región. Comparta con nosotros las fotos, comunicados de prensa y enlaces sobre sus actividades de promoción para el 28 de abril de 2012. Esta información será difundida a través de nuestra página Web después del evento. Le damos las gracias de antemano por su participación y colaboración.

Tags: green jobs, hazardous work, occupational safety and health, environment
Regions and countries covered: Global
Unit responsible: Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SAFEWORK)