Tunisia reaffirmed, on Tuesday, its “total commitment to guarantee the right to freedom of opinion and expression in all spaces, and to move forward to ensure a free and responsible press, given that it is the foundation of any democratic system.”
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, Tunisia calls on governments, organisations, civil society and the media to adopt a participatory approach based on human rights to promote press freedom and guarantee the journalist’s right to access information, while respecting the right to privacy and protecting the personal data of individuals, in accordance with the specificities and ethics of journalism based on the transmission of correct and reliable information.
Tunisia affirms that it will continue its mission, through its leading role in the UN Human Rights Council, by presenting the draft resolution on the safety of journalists, the draft resolution on the protection of freedom of expression on the Internet, the establishment of an appropriate legislative environment to strengthen press freedom, protect journalists and establish mechanisms guaranteeing the right of expression and supporting press freedom within a pluralist, free and responsible media scene.
The international community celebrates World Press Freedom Day every May 3. This year’s slogan is “Journalism in the digital age”.
According to the world press freedom index published on Tuesday by Reporters Without Borders, Tunisia has fallen 21 places, from 73rd to 94th out of 180 countries.
