World Migratory Bird Day 2016, 10 May.

World Migratory Bird Day - 9/10 May
Всемирный день мигрирующих птиц, 10 мая.
世界候鸟日, 5月10日.
Journée mondiale des oiseaux migrateurs, le 10 mai.
Día Mundial de las Aves Migratorias, 10 de mayo.
اليوم العالمي للطيور المهاجرة، 10 مايو.

Theme 2016 : Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade of Migratory birds!


Tackling illegal killing and trade in wildlife, including birds, and mobilizing global action around the issue will also be the focus of the 2016 World Environment Day, which takes place on 5 June and is hosted by Angola, under the slogan 'Go Wild for Life.' A global UN campaign to garner support for stopping the trade in many species and their products will also be launched.

 

United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.


"Migratory birds are symbols of the inter-connectedness of life on earth. Their annual migrations across countries and continents inspire people of all ages, all over the world. I fully support the global campaign dedicated to celebrating this natural wonder and raising awareness about the threats these birds face, from habitat destruction to pollution and climate change. This year's World Migratory Bird Day highlights a growing danger: the illegal killing, taking and trade of migratory birds. I commend the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) for the important work they are doing, along with many dedicated people and organizations around the world. As we celebrate these nomads of the sky, let us act on earth to secure their future -- and ours."


Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon.


Other Statements

- Statement by Mr. Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Dr. Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS) on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Dr. Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA) on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Mr. Braulio Ferreira De Souza Dias, Executive Secretary Convention on Biological Diversity on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Ms. Patricia Zurita, Chief Executive BirdLife International on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Mr. Spike Millington,  Chief Executive Partnership for the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAFP) Secretariat on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Interpol, The International Criminal Police Organization ICPO or INTERPOL,
- Statement by Dr. Fernando Spina, Chair of the Scientific Council Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS) on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statements by EUFJE The European Union Forum of Judges for the Environment on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Mr. George Aman, President of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.
- Statement by Ms. Mechtild Rössler, Director of the Division for Heritage and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre on World Migratory Bird Day 2016, May 10.

 

Forum : World Migratory Bird Day - 9/10 May

Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade of Migratory birds!

With the slogan " … and when the skies fall silent?", World Migratory Bird Day 2016 aims to highlight the incredible numbers of migratory birds being lost each year as a result of illegal killing, taking and trade. The motives behind these illicit activities are various and the toll that they are taking is incredible – millions of birds are being killed each year – numbers that are totally unsustainable and which alongside other pressures such as habitat loss and climate change are leading to many once common species being threatened with extinction.

Opinions : Tackling Africa's Impending Vulture Crisis.

 

Migratory Birds - Connecting Continents

 Events :  World Migratory Bird Day Global Events Map 2016.

Ahead of the Day, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) announced the creation of the Intergovernmental Task Force on Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean composed of Governments and the European Commission.
UN organizations such as the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), international environmental treaties, INTERPOL, law enforcement and judiciary organizations, hunting communities and nongovernmental organizations will also be part of the coalition.

"Spread your wings for Bird conservation" International Migratory Bird Day 2016

In 2016, International Migratory Bird Day highlights the importance of international efforts to conserve birds through agreements, laws, treaties, and collaborations. This year also marks the Centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty, a landmark agreement between the U.S., Canada and Mexico to protect our shared migratory birds. The 11 bird species on the poster represent the iimportance of these ag...reements among governments and illustrate the many ways we, as citizens, may be involved in ensuring that these protections remain in place. The IMBD poster image was created by Canadian artist, Lionel Worrell.


 News :
- World Migratory Bird Day Event Photos

 - Warning skies may 'fall silent,' United Nations calls for end to illegal Poaching and Trade of Migratory birds
- Countries Meet to Tackle Threats to Europe’s Most Endangered Bird of Prey. Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP-CMS).
-  Birds That Use Birdhouses. Mass Audubon.
- CITES and Wild Bird Trade.
- European Commission Roadmap towards Eliminating Illegal Killing, trapping and Trade of Birds.
- Illegal bird killing is taking place at quite extraordinary and unsustainable levels
- The Red List Index for Internationally Traded Bird Species Shows their Deterioration in Status

 

Migratory Birds

Become a Sponsor or Partner of World Migratory Bird Day.

Dedicated governments, organizations or individuals interested in becoming Partners or Sponsors of of World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD).



 

Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the WWII, 8-9 May.

 Дни памяти и примирения, посвященные памяти жертв Второй мировой войны, 8–9 мая.
الوقت لإحياء ذكرى والمصالحة لأولئك الذين فقدوا حياتهم أثناء الحرب العالمية الثانية، 08-09 مايو.

Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives During the WWII, 8-9 May.

Días del Recuerdo y la Reconciliación, Conmemoración de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, 8 y 9 de mayo.

Journées du souvenir et de la réconciliation en l'honneur des morts de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, 8 - 9 mai.

缅怀第二次世界大战的所有 死难者的悼念与和解的时刻, 5月8日和9日.

 

 

Theme 2016 :  Pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War.

Add caption

 

By resolution 59/26 of 22 November 2004, the UN General Assembly declared 8–9 May as a time of remembrance and reconciliation and, while recognizing that Member States may have individual days of victory, liberation and commemoration, invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations System, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe annually either one or both of these days in an appropriate manner to pay tribute to all victims of the Second World War.

The Assembly stressed that this historic event established the conditions for the creation of the United Nations, designed to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and called upon the Member States of the United Nations to unite their efforts in dealing with new challenges and threats, with the United Nations playing a central role, and to make every effort to settle all disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and in such a manner that international peace and security are not endangered.



Forum : To Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War, 8- 9 May

A REGISTER OF EVENTS. The War in Europe.

Events : Victory Day Parade 2016.

 - Military personnel mark The 71st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in the second world war. Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation
(2016 Военный парад на Красной площади).

 

9 Мая - особый праздник - День Великой Победы.

 

WWII Timeline :

° September 18, 1931 : Japan invades Manchuria.
° October 2, 1935–May 1936 : Fascist Italy invades, conquers, and annexes Ethiopia.
° October 25–November 1, 1936 : Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sign a treaty of cooperation on October 25; on November 1, the Rome-Berlin Axis is announced.
° November 25, 1936: Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan sign the Anti-Comintern Pact, directed against the Soviet Union and the international Communist movement.
° July 7, 1937 : Japan invades China, initiating World War II in the Pacific.
° March 11–13, 1938 : Germany incorporates Austria in the Anschluss.
° September 29, 1938 : Germany, Italy, Great Britain, and France sign the Munich agreement which forces the Czechoslovak Republic to cede the Sudetenland, including the key Czechoslovak military defense positions, to Nazi Germany.

 



° March 14–15, 1939 : Under German pressure, the Slovaks declare their independence and form a Slovak Republic. The Germans occupy the rump Czech lands in violation of the Munich agreement, forming a Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
° March 31, 1939 : France and Great Britain guarantee the integrity of the borders of the Polish state.
° April 7–15, 1939 : Fascist Italy invades and annexes Albania.
° August 23, 1939 : Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression agreement and a secret codicil dividing eastern Europe into spheres of influence.
° September 1, 1939 : Germany invades Poland, initiating World War II in Europe.
° September 3, 1939 : Honoring their guarantee of Poland’s borders, Great Britain and France declare war on Germany.
° September 17, 1939 : The Soviet Union invades Poland from the east.
° September 27–29, 1939 : Warsaw surrenders on September 27. The Polish government flees into exile via Romania. Germany and the Soviet Union divide Poland between them.

 

° November 30, 1939–March 12, 1940 : The Soviet Union invades Finland, initiating the so-called Winter War. The Finns sue for an armistice and have to cede the northern shores of Lake Lagoda and the small Finnish coastline on the Arctic Sea to the Soviet Union.
° April 9, 1940–June 9, 1940 : Germany invades Denmark and Norway. Denmark surrenders on the day of the attack; Norway holds out until June 9.
° May 10, 1940–June 22, 1940 : Germany attacks western Europe—France and the neutral Low Countries. Luxembourg is occupied on May 10; the Netherlands surrenders on May 14; and Belgium surrenders on May 28. On June 22, France signs an armistice agreement by which the Germans occupy the northern half of the country and the entire Atlantic coastline. In southern France, a collaborationist regime with its capital in Vichy is established.
° June 10, 1940 : Italy enters the war. Italy invades southern France on June 21.
° June 28, 1940 : The Soviet Union forces Romania to cede the eastern province of Bessarabia and the northern half of Bukovina to the Soviet Ukraine.
°June 14, 1940–August 6, 1940 : The Soviet Union occupies the Baltic States on June 14–18, engineering Communist coup d’états in each of them on July 14–15, and then annexing them as Soviet Republics on August 3–6.
° July 10, 1940–October 31, 1940 : The air war known as the Battle of Britain ends in defeat for Nazi Germany.
° August 30, 1940 : Second Vienna Award: Germany and Italy arbitrate a decision on the division of the disputed province of Transylvania between Romania and Hungary. The loss of northern Transylvania forces Romanian King Carol to abdicate in favor of his son, Michael, and brings to power a dictatorship under General Ion Antonescu.
° September 13, 1940 : The Italians invade British-controlled Egypt from Italian-controlled Libya.
° September 27, 1940 : Germany, Italy, and Japan sign the Tripartite Pact.
° October 1940 : Italy invades Greece from Albania on October 28.

° November 1940 : Slovakia (November 23), Hungary (November 20), and Romania (November 22) join the Axis.

° February 1941 : The Germans send the Afrika Korps to North Africa to reinforce the faltering Italians.
° March 1, 1941 : Bulgaria joins the Axis.
° April 6, 1941–June 1941 : Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria invade and dismember Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia surrenders on April 17. Germany and Bulgaria invade Greece in support of the Italians. Resistance in Greece ceases in early June 1941.
° April 10, 1941 : The leaders of the terrorist Ustasa movement proclaim the so-called Independent State of Croatia. Recognized immediately by Germany and Italy, the new state includes the province of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Croatia joins the Axis powers formally on June 15, 1941.
° June 22, 1941–November 1941
Nazi Germany and its Axis partners (except Bulgaria) invade the Soviet Union. Finland, seeking redress for the territorial losses in the armistice concluding the Winter War, joins the Axis just before the invasion. The Germans quickly overrun the Baltic States and, joined by the Finns, lay siege to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) by September. In the center, the Germans capture Smolensk in early August and drive on Moscow by October. In the south, German and Romanian troops capture Kiev (Kyiv) in September and capture Rostov on the Don River in November.
° December 6, 1941 : A Soviet counteroffensive drives the Germans from the Moscow suburbs in chaotic retreat.
° December 7, 1941 : Japan bombs Pearl Harbor.
° December 8, 1941 : The United States declares war on Japan, entering World War II. Japanese troops land in the Philippines, French Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), and British Singapore. By April 1942, the Philippines, Indochina, and Singapore are under Japanese occupation.
° December 11–13, 1941 : Nazi Germany and its Axis partners declare war on the United States.
° May 30, 1942–May 1945 : The British bomb Köln (Cologne), bringing the war home to Germany for the first time. Over the next three years Anglo-American bombing reduces urban Germany to rubble.

 

 

° June 1942 : British and US navies halt the Japanese naval advance in the central Pacific at Midway.
° June 28, 1942–September 1942 : Germany and her Axis partners launch a new offensive in the Soviet Union. German troops fight their way into Stalingrad (Volgograd) on the Volga River by mid-September and penetrate deep into the Caucasus after securing the Crimean Peninsula.
° August–November 1942 : US troops halt the Japanese island-hopping advance towards Australia at Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
° October 23–24, 1942 : British troops defeat the Germans and Italians at El Alamein in Egypt, sending the Axis forces in chaotic retreat across Libya to the eastern border of Tunisia.
° November 8, 1942 : US and British troops land at several points on the beaches of Algeria and Morocco in French North Africa. The failure of the Vichy French troops to defend against the invasion enables the Allies to move swiftly to the western border of Tunisia, and triggers the German occupation of southern France on November 11.




° November 23, 1942–February 2, 1943 : Soviet troops counterattack, breaking through the Hungarian and Romanian lines northwest and southwest of Stalingrad and trapping the German Sixth Army in the city. Forbidden by Hitler to retreat or try to break out of the Soviet ring, the survivors of the Sixth Army surrender on January 30 and February 2, 1943.
° May 13, 1943 : Axis forces in Tunisia surrender to the Allies, ending the North African campaign.
° July 10, 1943 : US and British troops land on Sicily. By mid-August, the Allies control Sicily.
° July 5, 1943 : The Germans launch a massive tank offensive near Kursk in the Soviet Union. The Soviets blunt the attack within a week and begin an offensive initiative of their own.
° July 25, 1943 : The Fascist Grand Council deposes Benito Mussolini, enabling Italian marshall Pietro Badoglio to form a new government.
° September 8, 1943 : The Badoglio government surrenders unconditionally to the Allies. The Germans immediately seize control of Rome and northern Italy, establishing a puppet Fascist regime under Mussolini, who is freed from imprisonment by German commandos on September 12.
° September 9, 1943 : Allied troops land on the beaches of Salerno near Naples.
° November 6, 1943 :  Soviet troops liberate Kiev.



 

 

° January 22, 1944 : Allied troops land successfully near Anzio, just south of Rome.
° March 19, 1944 : Fearing Hungary’s intention to desert the Axis partnership, the Germans occupy Hungary and compel the regent, Admiral Miklos Horthy, to appoint a pro-German minister president.
° June 4, 1944 : Allied troops liberate Rome. Within six weeks, Anglo-American bombers could hit targets in eastern Germany for the first time.
° June 6, 1944 : British and US troops successfully land on the Normandy beaches of France, opening a “Second Front” against the Germans.
° June 22, 1944 : The Soviets launch a massive offensive in eastern Byelorussia (Belarus), destroying the German Army Group Center and driving westward to the Vistula River across from Warsaw in central Poland by August 1.
° July 25, 1944 : Anglo-American forces break out of the Normandy beachhead and race eastward towards Paris.
° August 1, 1944–October 5, 1944 : The non-communist underground Home Army rises up against the Germans in an effort to liberate Warsaw before the arrival of Soviet troops. The Soviet advance halts on the east bank of the Vistula. On  October 5, the Germans accept the surrender of the remnants of the Home Army forces fighting in Warsaw.
° August 15, 1944 : Allied forces land in southern France near Nice and advance rapidly towards the Rhine River to the northeast.
°August 20–25, 1944 : Allied troops reach Paris. On August 25, Free French forces, supported by Allied troops, enter the French capital. By September, the Allies reach the German border; by December, virtually all of France, most of Belgium, and part of the southern Netherlands are liberated.
° August 23, 1944 : The appearance of Soviet troops on the Prut River induces the Romanian opposition to overthrow the Antonescu regime. The new government concludes an armistice and immediately switches sides in the war. The Romanian turnaround compels Bulgaria to surrender on September 8, and the Germans to evacuate Greece, Albania, and southern Yugoslavia in October.

° August 29, 1944–October 28, 1944 :  Under the leadership of the Slovak National Council, consisting of both Communists and non-Communists, underground Slovak resistance units rise against the Germans and the indigenous fascist Slovak regime. In late October, the Germans capture Banská Bystrica, the headquarters of the uprising, and put an end to organized resistance.

° September 12, 1944 : Finland concludes an armistice with the Soviet Union, leaving the Axis partnership.

° October 20, 1944 : US troops land in the Philippines.
° October 15, 1944 : The Hungarian fascist Arrow Cross movement carries out a coup d’état with German support to prevent the Hungarian government from pursuing negotiations for surrender to the Soviets.
° December 16, 1944 : The Germans launch a final offensive in the west, known as the Battle of the Bulge, in an attempt to re-conquer Belgium and split the Allied forces along the German border.

 

 

° January 1, 1945, the Germans are in retreat.
° January 12, 1945: The Soviets launch a new offensive, liberating Warsaw and Krakow in January, capturing Budapest after a two-month siege on February 13, driving the Germans and their Hungarian collaborators out of Hungary in early April, forcing the surrender of Slovakia with the capture of Bratislava on April 4, and capturing Vienna on April 13.
° March 7, 1945 : US troops cross the Rhine River at Remagen.
° April 16, 1945 : The Soviets launch their final offensive, encircling Berlin.
° April 1945 : Partisan units, led by Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Tito, capture Zagreb and topple the Ustasa regime. The top Ustasa leaders flee to Italy and Austria.
° April 30, 1945 : Hitler commits suicide.
° May 7, 1945 : Germany surrenders to the western Allies.
° May 9, 1945 : Germany surrenders to the Soviets.
° May 1945 : Allied troops conquer Okinawa, the last island stop before the Japanese islands.
° August 6, 1945 : The United States drops an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
° August 8, 1945 : The Soviet Union declares war on Japan and invades Manchuria.
° August 9, 1945 : The United States drops an atomic bomb on Nagasaki.
° September 2, 1945 : Having agreed in principle to unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945, Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.

 

 

 

Related Links

The WWII explained.

The Geneva Conventions

• Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field , 12 August 1949
• Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of Wounded, Sick and Shipwrecked Members of Armed Forces at Sea , 12 August 1949
• Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, 12 August 1949
• Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 12 August 1949
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977
• Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of Non-International Armed Conflicts (Protocol II), 8 June 1977

Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 9 December 1948 [A/RES/260(III)]

Resources :

- Veterans History Projects : FAQs on American war veterans - The Library of Congress.
- National World War II Museum - The National D-Day Museum
- Powers of Persuasion: Poster Art from World War II - National Archives and Records Administration.
-Transcripts of interviews, Rutgers Oral History Archives of World War II
-  Women and the Homefront During World War II
- World War II in the newspapers. Chicago Tribune
- The Holocaust,Timeline of events. US Holocaust Memorial Museum
- World War II Book Reviews -  World War II Database

Exhibitions :

American Treasures of the Library of Congress - World War II

This online exhibition contains notable examples of World War II eramaterials from different areas of the Library, including photographs, posters, newspapers, and original documents.

Dresden: Treasures from the Saxon State Library

This exhibition includes photographs of twentieth century Dresden, including View from the Georgen Gate showing the ruins of the Frauenkirche and surrounding buildings, summer 1947 and View of Dresden's Neumarkt and the Frauenkirche, August 1949.

Herblock's History: Political Cartoons from the Crash to the Millennium

This exhibit includes a number of editorial cartoons from the World War II era by Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Herbert L. Block (1909-2001).

John Bull and Uncle Sam: Four Centuries of British-American Relations

The section of this exhibition titled "From Enemy to Ally" contains a variety of World War II materials, including examples of sheet music, photographs, and speeches.

Women Come to the Front: Journalists, Photographers, and Broadcasters During WWII

This exhibition spotlights eight women who succeeded in "coming to the front" during the war--Therese Bonney, Toni Frissell, Marvin Breckinridge Patterson, Clare Boothe Luce, Janet Flanner, Esther Bubley, Dorothea Lange, and May Craig. Their stories--drawn from private papers and photographs primarily in Library of Congress collections--open a window on a generation of women who changed American society forever by securing a place for themselves in the workplace, in the newsroom, and on the battlefield.



Для тех, кто всегда будет помнить.

 

 

 

News :
- Для тех, кто всегда будет помнить.

"Живая Память" — это сотни писем Великой Отечественной войны, которые вы можете прочесть, чтобы сохранить память о людях, написавших историю…

- Поздравление главам ряда государств с 71-й годовщиной Победы в Великой Отечественной войне • Президент России

 

World Press Freedom Day 2016, May 3

Всемирный день свободы печати, 3 мая.
世界新闻自由日, 5月3日.
World Press Freedom Day, May 3.
Día Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa, 3 de mayo.
Journée mondiale de la liberté de la presse, 3 mai.
الصحافة العالمية يوم الحرية، 3 مايو.

Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This Is Your Right!

Theme 2016 :

• Freedom of Information and Sustainable Development
• Protecting press freedom from censorship and surveillance overreach
• Ensuring Safety of Journalists Online and Offline

United Nations Secretary General Statement on World Press Freedom Day 2016, May 3.

Human rights, democratic societies and sustainable development depend on the free flow of information.  And the right to information depends on press freedom.  Each year, we observe World Press Freedom Day to emphasize these fundamental principles, to protect the independence of the media and to honour media workers who risk and have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.

This year, World Press Freedom Day coincides with three important milestones.  It is the 250th anniversary of the world’s first freedom of information law, covering both modern-day Sweden and Finland, and it is the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration of press freedom principles.  Finally, 2016 is also the first year of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Press freedom and the free flow of information are necessary not only to inform citizens about the Goals, but to enable them to hold their leaders accountable for fulfilling the pledges they have made.  The media – including, and increasingly, new online media -- serve as our eyes and ears.  We all benefit from the information they provide.

A free, independent and safe media environment is essential.  Yet, all too often, journalists are threatened, harassed, obstructed or even killed in the pursuit of information.  Many languish in detention, some in appalling conditions, for shedding light on governance failures, corporate malfeasance or societal problems.

I am very concerned about the increasingly restrictive environment for media workers in many countries.  Constraints on freedom of expression place shackles on progress itself.  On this World Press Freedom Day, I urge all Governments, politicians, businesses and citizens to commit to nurturing and protecting an independent, free media.  Without this fundamental right, people are less free and less empowered.  With it, we can work together for a world of dignity and opportunity for all..

Ban Ki-moon

Statement of Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director General on World Press Freedom Day 2016, May 3.

Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms – This Is Your Right!
Access to Information is a fundamental freedom and part of the basic human right to freedom of expression. Receiving and imparting information, both offline and online, is a cornerstone of democracy, good governance, and rule of law.


Last year, the world agreed on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to guide all efforts over the new fifteen years, to end poverty, to protect the planet, and to ensure prosperity and lasting peace for all. The new Sustainable Development Goals include a target on public access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms -- two interrelated objectives that are key accelerators of progress across all of the new agenda.

At this time of turbulence and change across the world, including new challenges that require global cooperation and action, the need for quality information has never been so important – this requires a strong environment of press freedom and well-functioning systems to ensure the people’s right to know.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, the first formal Right to Information legislation was enacted in what is today Sweden and Finland. A historical breakthrough at the time, this still provides inspiration today, as Governments increasingly adopt laws that allow public access to information. Twenty-five years ago, in then newly-independent Namibia, the historic Windhoek Declaration on Press Freedom was adopted, paving the way to recognition by the United Nations of World Press Freedom Day.

In marking these anniversaries, World Press Freedom Day this year highlights the importance of free and independent journalism for advancing the 2030 Agenda. This includes the safety of journalists, at a time when, tragically, a media professional is killed every five days. This cannot stand, and guided by the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, UNESCO is working with Governments around the world to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers everywhere.

In this spirit, I call on everyone to stand united in defending and encouraging press freedom and the right to access to information. This is essential for human rights and dignity, for our aspirations for sustainable development, for common determination to build lasting peace.


This Is Your Right!

Irina Bokova

FORUM : World Press Freedom Day - 3 May.

 

LIVE WEBCAST - World Press Freedom Day 2016

Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms: This Is Your Right!
 

UNESCO and the Government of Finland will co-host the World Press Freedom Day's main event and the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize Ceremony in 2016 which will take place in Helsinki, Finland, from 2-4 May 2016. World Press Freedom Day 2016 is organized under the patronage of the President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö.

1. Access to Information and SDGs' Indicators - Goal 16 
2. Impact of the refugee crisis on Public Service Media Values 
3. Whistleblowers and Journalists' Source Protection 
4. Safety of Journalists - Strengthening the Momentum 
5. Is artistic freedom a new development challenge? 
6. Countering Hate Speech in the Media through Ethics and Self-Regulation
7.  The Right to Information - Focus on Gender and Other Benefits 
8. Can tweets recruit for terror? Understanding radicalization in the social media sphere
9. The New Frontiers in Disinformation 

Safety of Media professionals

Key messages World Press Freedom Day 2016.

 

° Press freedom is confronted by growing challenges of blocking access to online information, whichcurbs both people's access to information as well as the range of information and expression online.

° The better the public access to information, the better the climate for respecting fundamentalfreedoms, including safety of journalists and creative cultural expression.

° Access to information is not only an end in itself, but also a means as a whole, following SustainableDevelopment Goal 16 for the 2030 Agenda.

° A culture of media freedom, pluralism and independence is essential for press freedom, highlightedin the Windhoek Declaration, adopted 25 years ago.

° Threatening press freedom is threatening access to information, because without a free press,journalists cannot collect and report their information safely and independently.

° Protecting online and offline journalism should be protected from surveillance overreach and wide-spread censorship.

 °Promoting press freedom and journalist safety will ensure public’s access to impartial and quality information.

 

EVENTS :  WPFD 2016 Main Event

UNESCO’s flagship celebration of World Press Freedom Day (3 May) will take place in Helsinki, Finland, this year from 2 to 4 May. The overarching theme of the forthcoming celebration is Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms.

International Conference

Finlandia Hall

Mannerheimintie 13e

00100 Helsinki, Finland

For more information about Finlandia Hall, please visit their website.

Side Events

Main Conference

Public Seminar

2016 World Press Freedom Day Celebrations

Some one hundred World Press Freedom Day events are organized around the world

2016 World Press Freedom Day celebrations highlight link between freedom of information and sustainable development

 

RESOURCES :

 Access to Information and Knowledge Sharing - Unesco Multimedia Archives (eServices)

UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (United Nations)

Windhoek declaration

World Trends Report on Freedom of Expression and Media Development: Special Digital Focus 2015 (UNESCO)

Countering online hate speech (UNESCO)

Building digital safety for journalism: a survey of selected issues (UNESCO)

Freedom of Information (FOI) & Women's Rights in Africa (UNESCO)

Freedom of expression and information

NEWS :

• World Press Freedom Prize
• News organizations standing up for the safety of media professionals
• El jurado internacional que escogió la ganadora del Premio Mundial de Libertad de Prensa 2016 | Fundación Guillermo Cano Isaza
• Promoting Quality Journalism and Freedom of expression - Helsingin Sanomain Säätiö
• Platform to promote the protection of Journalism and safety of Journalists - Council of EU.
• Debate – “I can’t write that”: Self-censorship in European media, 2 May 2016 in Brussels | European Federation of Journalists
• Attacks on the Press: Gender and Media Freedom Worldwide - Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

Harsh Laws and Violence Drive Global Decline - Freedom of Press 2015.

International Jazz Day 2016, April 30

A Letter from Herbie Hancock and UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova;

Dear Friends,
 

It is an honor to invite you to the 5th Annual International Jazz Day celebrations in Washington, D.C. This day was adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization in 2012 to promote jazz music and culture as a tool to inspire peaceful cooperation and partnership among communities around the globe.

This day is an extraordinary demonstration of the power of jazz to promote world peace, stimulate intercultural dialogue and above all, bring people together. On April 30, people in 195 countries on every single continent will be demonstrating their commitment to the unifying power of music.

We are partnering with teachers, musicians, students, historians, and community leaders at schools, universities, libraries, art venues, community centers, hospitals, and shelters. All over the world, the streets will be alive with the sounds of jazz – of freedom – and millions of people will learn about its rich history; its ethical and philosophical foundations; and its inherent message of acceptance and respect. Our hope is that this day will inspire people all over the world to listen to one another and cooperate in a spirit of peace.

Many thanks to Washington, D.C. for serving as the Global Host City for International Jazz Day 2016 and for featuring Jazz Day programs in every single Ward.
 

Thank you for your support and Happy International Jazz Day!

 

FORUM : International Jazz Day - April 30

EVENTS : International Jazz Day 2016 Opening Ceremony,  April 30.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, Mayor Bowser of Washington, D.C., UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, UN FAO Goodwill Ambassador Dee Dee Bridgewater.


CONCERT : International Jazz Day 2016 All-Star Global Concert.

Each year, the All-Star Global Concert brings together internationally acclaimed artists from around the world who represent jazz and other musical genres for a performance spanning styles, cultures and languages. In the spirit of International Jazz Day, the All-Star Global Concert takes place in a landmark venue with rich historical significance. We are honored that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will host the International Jazz Day 2016 All-Star Global Concert from the White House, with artists performing throughout the White House and on the South Lawn. The concert will be broadcast across the United States on April 30th – International Jazz Day – as an

ABC network television special and streamed around the world by the United Nations and UNESCO. Viewers will experience jazz being played at the White House, where it has been showcased by every Administration since President Kennedy.

The 2016 All-Star Global Concert will feature a cast of internationally renowned Jazz music artists including

 

• Pianists :Joey Alexander, John Beasley (Music Director), Kris Bowers, Chick Corea, Robert Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Danilo Perez and Chucho Valdés Oficial;

• Trumpeters : Terence Blanchard, Till Brönner, Hugh Masekela and James Morrison;

• Vocalists : Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jamie Cullum, Kurt Elling, Aretha Franklin, Al Jarreau, Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves Music and Sting;

 

• Saxophonists : Eli Degibri, David Sanchez @ Jazz Standard in New York, NY, Wayne Shorter and Bobby Watson;

 

• Bassists : Christian McBride, Marcus Miller, Esperanza Spalding and Ben Williams;

 

• Guitarists : Buddy Guy, Lionel Loueke, Pat Metheny and Lee Ritenour;

 

• Drummers : Brian Blade, Terri Lyne Carrington and Kendrick Scott;

 

• Percussionist : Zakir Hussain; Paul Rutherford (trombone player) Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews & Orleans Avenue; and the Rebirth Brass Band