The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Uganda (FCAU) will tomorrow, May 3rd, celebrate World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), an occasion that reminds us of the importance of free media and of access to information for all people. FCAU stands in solidarity with journalists and media organizations in Uganda and elsewhere.

FCAU is a professional association for journalists in Uganda who work for foreign news media. It organizes social events and off-record briefings with news makers for its members, as well as the annual Uganda Press Photo Award for Ugandan photographers. FCAU is affiliated to the Nairobi-based Foreign Correspondents’ Association of East Africa. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2015 nearly 200 journalists were jailed worldwide. In 2016 alone, 16 journalists have been killed worldwide. FCAU strongly condemns any acts of intimidation or violence intended to stifle the work of journalists around the globe.

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993. This year’s WPFD focuses on three aspects of press freedom: freedom of information as a fundamental freedom and as a human right; protecting press freedom from censorship and surveillance overreach; and ensuring safety for journalism online and offline.

FCAU further wishes to inform the public that the Kampala-based African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) and the Uganda Journalists Association (UJA), together with other media partners, will mark WPFD with a procession and a public debate. The program can be found at www.acme-ug.org