This year, Democracy Day focused on the importance of media freedom to democracy, peace, and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the International Day of Democracy, stresses that Democracy Cannot Survive without Free Press, Freedom of Expression.
“To mark International Democracy Day this year, the UN Office for Partnerships collaborates with the UN Democracy Fund to host a discussion in the SDG studio as part of the SDG Roundtable series. The conversation will showcase why protecting media freedom is a critical component of a healthy democracy. Moreover, it will propose and discuss solutions for the achievement of SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. You can contribute to this work by sharing the roundtable on 15 September and raising awareness around protecting media freedoms globally. ”
The International Day is an opportunity to review the state of democracy around the world. Each year highlights a specific theme. Past themes have included stronger democracies, the importance of democracy for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, strengthening the voices of citizens, dialogue and inclusiveness, accountability, and political tolerance.
