UNESCO welcomes recognition of the important role of journalists in the Nobel Peace Prize

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azole on Saturday welcomed the Nobel Committee’s decision to appoint two journalists, Maria Ressa (Philippines) and Dmitry Muradov (Russia), as prize winners. Noble Peace 2021, since 86 years.

“By awarding this prize, the Nobel Committee reaffirms a strong belief that it fully echoes UNESCO’s mandate: Freedom of expression and access to information are fundamental to democracy and peace,” the statement said.

“Journalists are at the forefront of the struggle for truth and should shed light on where it is needed. For that, they often take significant personal risks. Today they are rightly recognized as defenders. Justice and truth,” he added.

According to a UNESCO report released last April, the event, which affects three out of four women journalists in the world, was welcomed by Ms. Assoule, who is widely involved in the organization’s efforts to combat online harassment of female journalists.

Last May, Maria Ressa received the UNESCO / Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the protection of endangered press freedom.

He directly accepted the award at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Conference in Windhoek, Namibia, condemning the systematic online harassment of journalists and the lack of effective media response.

He has also participated in previous editions of the World Press Freedom Conference, a conference organized by UNESCO, the World Food Program and the University of South Carolina on September 24, 2021.