Last-minute information
The programme of the World Press Freedom Day celebrations has been adjusted as follows.
The UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize ceremony will be held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris at a later date.
The 2026 World Press Freedom Day Conference, entitled "Shaping a Future of Peace", will take place primarily online, with an event also organized in Lusaka on 4 May.
The full list of events organized worldwide by UNESCO and its partners is available here:
Since fighting broke out in 2023, the Syndicate has documented 32 journalists' deaths; 556 violations against media workers, and the cessation of numerous newspapers and radio stations, making Sudan one of the most dangerous countries to be a journalist.
The members of the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate have demonstrated extraordinary courage and unwavering dedication. Despite immense challenges, they continue, day after day, to deliver accurate, lifesaving information to their communities when it matters most. Their commitment is a powerful example to us all and a vital service to truth, accountability, and peace.
Khaled El-EnanyUNESCO Director-General
This award is not only a recognition of the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate, but a tribute to all Sudanese journalists who continue to defend truth and press freedom under extremely difficult and dangerous conditions. It reaffirms the vital role of independent journalism in safeguarding democratic values and amplifying the voices of civilians affected by war.
Abdelmoniem Abuedries AliChair of the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate
The laureate was announced ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3 on the recommendation of an international independent jury of media professionals. As part of the commemorations, the UNESCO global conference "Shaping a Future at Peace" will take place in Lusaka from 4-6 May, co-hosted by Zambia.
A breeding ground for mis-and disinformation
The ongoing conflict in Sudan has severely disrupted news gathering and worsened the country's media landscape. Evidence shows journalists have been threatened with violence, and arrest. 90% of the country's media infrastructure has been destroyed; journalists have been trapped in their homes or workplaces due to street violence and have experienced internet and telecommunications blackouts that further restrict reporting.
These conditions effectively render the country a 'zone of silence' in which large parts of the population exist in an information vacuum. Mis- and disinformation spread widely, as does war propaganda, fueling hatred and polarization.
Since the outbreak of war, UNESCO has stood by Sudanese journalists by helping to establish the Sudanese Media Forum, bringing together more than 20 media outlets to advocate for press freedom and ensure Sudan's humanitarian crisis remains visible to the world. In partnership with Media in Cooperation and Transition (MiCT), UNESCO also conducted a survey to identify journalists' needs, leading to the set-up of two safe spaces for them in Port Sudan. To date, 49 journalists have received direct support, including help relocating to safer areas within Sudan and abroad and access to psychological support.
Press Freedom is in sharp decline everywhere
Sudan is not an isolated case. Attacks on journalists and journalism are proliferating across the world. UNESCO's most recent report on global trends in freedom of expression, reveals a 10% decline in freedom of expression worldwide since 2012, a setback comparable only to three other periods - World War I, the prelude to World War II, and the late 1970s Cold War period.
UNESCO- analysis of V-DEM data shows that global self-censorship among the press grew by 69%, between 2012 and the end of 2025; the most damaging form of censorship is now internalized.
Journalists and media professionals have increasingly been targeted through diverse forms of legal harassment, from multi-million-dollar lawsuits for defamation, to anti-terrorism regulations and financial legislation.
Online harassment against journalists - particularly that targeting women - has surged worldwide. Research carried out by the International Center for Journalists' (ICFJ) for UN Women, in partnership with UNESCO found that 75% of women journalists reported having experienced online violence. Even more worrying, at least 42% of women journalists said in 2025 that these online attacks had led to offline abuse, threats or violence - double the number (20%) who reported this in 2020.
Amidst these negative global trends, there are also strong positive ones, which offer signs of hope, and evidence of innovative new solutions to global challenges. Community media is enjoying growing recognition. Of the 194 countries reviewed in UNESCO's 2025 global survey, nearly half now have legal frameworks in place and, in many cases, provide financial support, reflecting a strengthened commitment to media pluralism. Progress has also been made on access to information: 139 UN Member States have now adopted legal guarantees for the public's right of access to information. Digital tools and artificial intelligence are fostering the rise of cross border investigative journalism and international collaboration.
Protecting journalists and safeguarding information integrity are drivers for peace and security
At its World Press Freedom Conference in Lusaka, UNESCO will appeal to governments and civil society to recommit to support independent journalism and the free flow of information, affirming that any peace, recovery or security policy must integrate information integrity and free, independent media alongside humanitarian, institutional and economic dimensions. When independent journalism declines, corruption increases, poor governance takes hold, and information violence precedes physical violence.
UNESCO will also call on them to mobilize sustainable financing to ensure media organizations can continue to operate. The Organization's own analysis shows that, just 15 days of annual global military spending would equal a full year of the investment needed to support public-interest journalism worldwide.
Newsrooms around the world are struggling to cover their costs and face an existential threat. Yet with social media and artificial intelligence spreading disinformation at unprecedented speed and scale, it has become the last line of defence for citizens against manipulation and division. Free, accurate information is a public good. I call on Member States and all our partners to invest in journalism as a lever of peace.
Khaled El-EnanyUNESCO Director-General
