France congratulates the Belarusian Association of Journalists on winning the UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. With this prize, UNESCO ? which is particularly committed to promoting press freedom and journalists' safety ? honors the work and bravery of the association, whose candidacy was supported by 46 member states, including France.
Despite its dissolution by the Belarusian authorities in August 2021 and the jailing of 27 journalists in Belarus, the Association, which has more than 1,300 members from diverse independent publications, fights for the freedom of information against a backdrop of threats and systematic repression.
Information is a common good that must be defended amid growing restrictions on the freedom of expression and freedom of the press, both online and in print form, as well as the proliferation of infodemics and the manipulation of information.
France reaffirms its steadfast, unwavering commitment to the freedom of the press, the freedom of speech and the protection of journalists and all those whose speech contributes to free, pluralistic information and public debate worldwide.