Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and President of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, has made the following statement on World Press Freedom Day:

“As the world faces one of the greatest challenges ever to the global peace architecture with Russia’s war of aggression against a democratic sovereign state in the heart of Europe, the role of the media has never been more important.

Freedom of expression, the driver of other freedoms and human rights, and free, independent, and plural media are important cornerstones for democratic, inclusive, and peaceful societies. Media freedom and freedom of expression are however increasingly under attack. Moreover, disinformation and misinformation online and offline proliferate with serious impact on the institutions underpinning democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

Journalists and media workers, whether reporting during peace or in times of conflict, are crucial to provide the public with accurate and timely information and to ensure transparency and accountability and we are deeply concerned about attacks against journalists and media workers, in our region and around the world. I underline Iceland’s commitment for the release of arbitrarily detained journalists and media workers imprisoned for their work.

The right to freedom of expression and freedom of the media as protected by Article 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights are pillars of democratic security in Europe. The work of the Council of Europe provides a valuable contribution to the protection of media freedom and the freedom of expression, and the Organisation is at the forefront of standard setting in this field. The Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, which reports on serious threats to the safety of journalists and media freedom in Europe to reinforce the Council of Europe’s response to the threats and member states’ accountability, is a unique mechanism which fosters early warning.

The gender gap and digital divide exist in the media sphere, and we need to continue making sure that new digital opportunities become available to all. This is crucial on our path for building a better and more equitable future for all.

To mark this year’s special 30th anniversary celebration of World Press Freedom Day, I call for renewed emphasis on press freedom. More must be done to promote and protect freedom of expression and free, independent, and plural media and to provide a safe and enabling environment for journalists and media workers.

Our message must be loud, clear, and unwavering – the media is an integral part of a democratic and pluralistic society, and fundamental for our common security.”