Azerbaijan, Baku, Apr. 30 / Trend K.Zarbaliyeva /
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the governments, civil society and people around the world to stand up not only for freedom of the press but also for the public's right to know.
Ki-moon addressed to the world community the World Press Freedom Day - May 3.
Around the world, governments and others with power used censorship, intimidation, financial constraints and even murder to obstruct the freedom of the press and the right to know, he said.
Ki-moon stressed that all governments had a duty to protect those working in the media and to provide access to the information that people required.
It was noted that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had condemned the killings of 77 journalists in the course of 2009.
"I strongly condemn these killings and strongly demand that the killers be brought to justice. All governments had a duty to protect those working in the media. An investigation of killings of journalists and the arrest of the killers should also be part of that protection," he said.
Ki-moon urged the world community to change this attitude towards journalists and media and inform the public about this.
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