On May 3, World Press Freedom Day was commemorated around the theme retained this year by UNESCO, "Journalism without Fear or Favour", a theme which aims to highlight the free and independent character of media work, while emphasizing the responsibility of press workers.

Pradel Henriquez the Minister of Culture and Communication said that this date reminds governments "of the need to respect their commitments in favor of press freedom. It is also a time of intense reflection for the media and professional journalists on issues relating to press freedom and ethics."

He recalls that this world day is also "a day of support for the media which are targets for the restriction or abolition of press freedom. It is also a day of remembrance for journalists who lost their lives in the exercise of their profession."

Minister Henriquez took advantage of this day to remind everyone that in the particular context in which the Covid-19 pandemic is causing the world to be worried and uncertain, information "must help us deal with the crisis , understand it, think about it and overcome it."

Henriquez pleads in favor of the independence of a press which says and questions the facts and wishes "That each press worker redoubles his efforts in this crucial moment so that tomorrow we have a free press and journalists, who must to be able to count on all the leaders."

Note that beyond the "speech", the facts should not make us forget that Haiti in the world ranking of press freedom 2020 made by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Haiti pass from 62nd rank (2019) in the 83rd (2020) in 181 countries https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30594-haiti-news-zapping.html , a drop of 21 places due to the dangerous and precarious working environment of journalists.

IH/ iciHaiti