5 May 2014 - TRIPOLI – With the safety of journalists and the role of freedom of expression in the constitution increasingly visible issues in post-revolution Libya, media professionals, government officials, civil society organizations and international partners joined to celebrate World Press Freedom Day with a variety of events on 3 May 2014. A workshop on “Media and the Constitutional Process” kicked the day off, followed by a high-level roundtable of government and media professionals and a subsequent public panel discussion involving government, civil society and media representatives that is to be televised.

“A professional and pluralistic media that provides credible information to the public is essential for good governance and participatory democracy, in Libya, as in all countries,” said UNESCO Representative Michael Croft, adding that “in examining its own role in Libya society, the media and other stakeholders can provide a very visible example of positive national dialogue.”

The safety of journalists, the place of freedom of expression in the upcoming constitution-drafting process and the role of a professional media in the ongoing Libyan transition were some of the key issues confronted during the course of the day’s events, which were held at the Al Waddan Hotel in Tripoli and organized by UNESCO and the Media Sector Working Group.

The public panel discussion, titled “Media and the Libyan Transition”, brought together the Ministry of Information, Al Watanya Channel journalists and civil society organizations. It included active participation by the audience, which was made up of journalists and civil society actors. The high-level roundtable earlier in the day, which included senior government officials, managers and editors from the media sector and international partners, was chaired by Tarek Mitri, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Libya and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

The events on World Press Freedom Day aimed to facilitate discussion amongst a diverse group of stakeholders on freedom of expression in Libya, which could contribute to the development of new media policy in the country. All sessions discussed specific actions to further support the development of a professional media in Libya. Funded by the Government of Sweden, the events were organized by the Media Sector Working Group, which is chaired by the Libyan Ministry of Information and includes UNESCO, UNSMIL, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Embassy of the United Kingdom, the Delegation of the European Union, the High National Elections Commission (HNEC), Creative Associates, IREX, BBC Media Action, Deutsche Welle, 1Libya and the Libyan Center for Freedom of the Press

The 17th of February Revolution fundamentally changed Libya’s media landscape, making debate about press freedom and professional standards in journalism possible for the first time after decades of censorship and control. The World Press Freedom Day celebrations are part of a broader programme of support to the Libyan Ministry of Information and to the media sector at large.

World Press Freedom Day, celebrated yearly on 3 May, raises awareness of the importance of freedom of expression and press freedom globally. The theme for 2014 is “Professional Media in the Post-2015 Development Agenda.” Discussions at the global level were reflected at the local level on 3 May as Libyans examined the role of professional media and freedom of expression in society, with a view to the future.