The United Nations, through the UNESCO agency, has decided to place the celebration of the 30th anniversary of "World Press Freedom Day" on May 3, 2023 under the theme, and I quote: "Shaping a future of rights: freedom of expression as the engine of all other human rights". The analysis of this theme shows us that, firstly, freedom of expression is the basis, better still, "the mother" of all human rights, and secondly, that all human rights are constantly violated all over the world every third, second or minute that passes.

Many journalists and other media professionals are threatened, harassed, abducted, tortured, subjected to pressure of all kinds, and even more, murdered around the world while they were simply doing their job. Many are also arrested and even languish in prisons, some without trial.

The Social Democratic Front (SDF), a pioneer in the ongoing struggle for the promotion and protection of human dignity in Cameroon in particular and in the world in general, fully respectful of the Charters of the United Nations and the African Union, denounces and strongly condemns this situation which makes it difficult for press and media professionals to carry out their activities, thus dealing a serious blow to the advancement of democracy and the progress of humanity.

In our country Cameroon, the press like all other sectors of activity, is going through quite trying times, marked in particular by the very worrying security situation for the last six years in the North West and South West regions, the presence of the Boko Haram Sect in the North. To this, we must add the difficult access to sources of information, the thorny issue of the creation of press enterprises, because the receipt issued by the prefecture does not mean the creation of a press organ.

This deplorable situation rather reinforces the state of precariousness and lack of resources on the part of both the Directors of Publication and their collaborators. It is the same for this administrative tolerance mentioned in the audiovisual field, maintained "maliciously" by the State for the purpose of manipulation and pressure to ensure a press under the rule of the authorities.

The socio-economic and cultural context marked by high youth unemployment and the introduction of social networks in our daily environment, favors the massive arrival of people with little or no training in this corporation, as well as opening the doors to corruption, thus trampling on the ethics and deontology of this profession.

The SDF, which is renewing its fight for the decriminalization of press offences, once again seizes the opportunity of this celebration to urge the Cameroonian Government to do everything possible to ensure the implementation of the Collective Agreement of this corporation, which will enable all workers in this sector to exercise their profession with more peace of mind and decent salaries.

To all Journalists and other media professionals, May 3rd is your day, we are by your side and encourage you to overcome fear and to pursue your activity with full responsibility and in strict compliance with the ethics of your profession, because, "the free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man; every citizen may therefore speak, write, print freely, except for answering for the abuse of this freedom in the cases determined by the law.

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Happy birthday.

NGUIDJOL NGAN,
Shadow Cabinet,
Information and Media

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