Eastern Africa Consultations on +30 Windhoek Declaration

As we look forward to the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2021, journalists, media practitioners, academia’s’, duty bearers and other parties interested in the advancement of freedom of the media and freedom of expression in Eastern Africa, have today, 6th April 2021, commenced their consultation meetings with special focus on +30 Windhoek Declaration.

The consultations will work on reviewing the Windhoek Declaration which was promulgated in 1991 with media viability, transparency of online platforms, and citizen’s capacity on media and information literacy being the main focus of the review process.

In addition, the Eastern Africa consultations will contribute to shaping the Africa Regional Forum’s programme, to be held virtually and through physical presence in Windhoek, Namibia, on 30th April 2021. Emanating from these discussions, the Eastern African Editors Society (EAES) which is spearheading these sub-regional consultations, will also publish the second edition of the Eastern African Journalism Review Journal.

The 2021 celebration of the World Press Freedom Day will mark an important milestone since the Windhoek Declaration for the Development of a Free, Independent, and Pluralistic Press.

This consultative process for Eastern Africa is supported and coordinated by UNESCO Addis and Nairobi Offices, through the Multi-donor Program for Freedom of Expression and the Safety of Journalists, the Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa and Article 19 Eastern Africa.