UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press in Biarritz, France, on August 26, 2019, during the annual G7 Summit. (AFP/Ludovic Marin)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press in Biarritz, France, on August 26, 2019, during the annual G7 Summit. (AFP/Ludovic Marin)

UN Secretary General responds to #FreeThePress campaign call to action

In a letter this week to the partners of the 2020 #FreeThePress campaign, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres emphasized that freedom of the press and the safety of journalists remains a key priority for him, stressing that, “No democracy can function without press freedom, which is the cornerstone of trust between people and their institutions, and which is most critical at a time of crisis when citizens demand accountability.”

Earlier this month, as part of a global #FreeThePress campaign, the Committee to Protect Journalists, alongside 192 partner organizations from around the globe sent a letter and petition to Secretary General Guterres calling on him to take urgent action on behalf jailed journalists amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The letter can be read here.