UN urges Iraqi gov’t to reiterate commitment to protect journalists

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The special representative of the United Nations secretary general for Iraq (SRSG) on Sunday called on the Iraqi government to reiterate its commitment to defend journalists’ rights and to protect the freedom of expression. “The Iraqi Parliament has debated the media law, while the Parliament in Iraq’s Kurdistan region has passed a similar law,” Staffan de Mistura said in statement released today, which marks the annual World Press Freedom Day. The UN official expressed his strong support for the Iraqi media, which he said is “still a victim of the widespread violence.” The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in 1991. SS (P) 1