2023-05-04 07:38:50
The Minister of Communication, Mr. Mahamadou Lawaly Dan Dano delivered, Tuesday, May 02, 2023, a message on the occasion of the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, in which he recalled the efforts of the government in strengthening press freedom.
At the start of his remarks, the Minister of Communication recalled that on May 3 of each year the international community celebrates the work of journalists and other media professionals which also highlights a fundamental truth: our freedom depends entirely on that of the press, “as pointed out by Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations in his speech on the occasion of this commemoration”.
Mahamadou Lawaly Dan Dano added that over the past three decades, the global movement celebrating World Press Freedom Day has grown to become an inclusive platform to reaffirm the fundamental role of the media free, independent and pluralistic in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
In Niger, “the commemoration of this day coincides with the installation of the new members of the Superior Council of Communication who will have the heavy responsibility of regulating the press sector in our country for five years”, he noted. stressing that “the government under the aegis of the President of the Republic Mohamed Bazoum, a fervent defender of press freedom, will continue efforts to strengthen press freedom, as Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou has clearly underlined in its policy statement.
This is reflected, he notes, among other things in the improvement of the legal and professional environment of the public and private media sectors despite the adoption in 2022 of amendments to the law relating to cybercrime which decriminalizes crimes defamation and insults; the modernization of public press organs.
The minister also plans to eliminate gray areas for radio and television as well as finalizing the installation of Digital Terrestrial Television.
At the end of his speech, Minister Lawaly Dan Dano reaffirmed his total availability to work together with all the men and women of the Nigerien media for the influence of a press that is always free and at the service of development.
This day was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1993, following the Declaration of Windhoek on the promotion of independent and pluralistic media, it is indicated.
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