Director-General welcomes pledge by de facto government to lift emergency decree in Honduras

Paris, 7 October

The Director-General of UNESCO Koïchiro Matsuura today welcomed the declaration by the de facto government of Honduras that it was lifting an emergency decree that imposed restrictions on freedom of expression.

“I welcome the de facto government’s pledge to lift the recent emergency decree in Honduras,” said the Director-General. “The fact that the restrictions on freedom of expression about which I was particularly concerned are being lifted augurs well for the chance of a peaceful end to tensions in the country. Indeed, open and informed debate is an important condition for democracy and good governance. I trust that the wise decision to lift the emergency decree will bear fruit for the benefit of all Hondurans.”

The Director-General on 3 October expressed concern over the decree that authorized the National Telecommunications Commission to suspend media blamed for broadcasting messages that were hostile to government resolutions.

****

UNESCO is the only United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this purpose the Organization is required to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”

• Author(s):UNESCOPRESS
• Source:Press Release No. 2009-115
• 08-10-2009