World Press Freedom Day 2026 Conference, Lusaka, Zambia, May 4-5
Summary
UNESCO and the Government of Zambia will co-host the World Press Freedom Day 2026 Conference on May 4-5 at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia. The conference brings together journalists, digital rights advocates, technologists, policy makers, regulators, civil society organizations, academia, and content creators to discuss challenges facing journalism. The UNESCO-Guillhermo Cano Prize will be awarded at a ceremony on May 3. The event is organized back-to-back with RightsCon 2026 (May 5-8) and immediately follows the announcement of the prize winner.
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What changed
UNESCO and the Government of Zambia have announced the World Press Freedom Day 2026 Global Conference, scheduled for May 4-5, 2026, in Lusaka, Zambia. The conference serves as a convening platform for journalists, digital rights advocates, technologists, policy makers, regulators, civil society, academia, researchers, educators, youth leaders, and content creators to discuss the growing challenges for journalism in an increasingly insecure world. The conference will focus on aligning journalism, technology (including AI), and human rights actors around practical ways to strengthen information ecosystems' resilience in the context of growing conflict. Participants include Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa (Zambia's Minister of Information and Media), UNESCO Director-General H.E. Mr. Khaled El-Enany, and UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression Ms. Irene Khan. The UNESCO-Guillhermo Cano Prize ceremony will take place on May 3 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lusaka, by invitation only.
For attendees, journalists must apply for accreditation through the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) by submitting an official letter to Yvonne Jere. The conference is organized in parallel with RightsCon 2026 (May 5-8), enabling participants to attend both events. The Mulungushi International Conference Centre will serve as the venue for sessions running from 09:00 on May 4 to 16:00 on May 5, 2026.
Conference
- Date
- 2026-05-04 at 09:00 – 16:00
- Location
- Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
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Press release
UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day 2026 spotlights the continued decline of press freedom globally
As attacks on journalists proliferate in all regions of the world, UNESCO and the Government of Zambia prepare co-host this year’s World Press Freedom Day Conference on 4 and 5 May, which will bring press freedom advocates and digital rights communities together to discuss the growing challenges for journalism faces in an increasingly insecure world.
UNESCO 23 April 2026 On the eve of the conference, Sunday 3rd May, the winner of the of the prestigious UNESCO-Guillhermo Cano Prize will be announced at a special ceremony.
Where? The Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Lusaka, Zambia
When? 09.00 on Monday 4 May to 16.00 on Tuesday 5 May 2026
Who? Participants include:
- Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa — Minister of Information and Media, Government of Zambia.
- H.E. Mr. Khaled El-Enany — UNESCO Director-General
- Ms. Irene Khan — UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
Press Accreditations: World Press Freedom Day 2026 Global Conference (4-5 May 2026): Overview · Indico.UN
Journalists who would like to attend in person must apply for accreditation through the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) by submitting an official letter to Yvonne Jere (yvonnejere61@gmail.com). For more information, visit: https://www.zanis.gov.zm/
- Click here to see the programme
- Click here to watch the live conference The Global conference will enable important exchanges between journalists, digital rights advocates, technologists, policy makers, regulators, civil society organizations, academia, researchers, educators, youth leaders and content creators. The conference will also offer a critical moment to reaffirm freedom of expression as an essential component of a democratic society. Discussion will move beyond an articuluation of the challenges the sector faces, toward coordinated action, aligning journalism, technology (including AI), and human rights actors around practical ways to strengthen information ecosystems’ resilience in the context of growing conflict.
The UNESCO-Guillhermo Cano Prize will be awarded at a special ceremony by invitation only on Sunday 3 May at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lusaka. The prize is awarded annually to a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to the defense and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, particularly in situations involving significant risk. Previous laureates include Maria Ressa and three Iranian journalists who were all in prison at the time they won the prize, in 2023.
The conference has been organized back-to-back with RightsCon 2026, a major global summit on human rights in the digital age, which takes place in Lusaka, from 5-8 May.
Press contacts
- Maria SANCHEZ APONTE, m.sanchez-aponte@unesco.org, +33 (0) 1 45 68 02 37
- Clare O ’ HAGAN, c.o-hagan@unesco.org, +33 (0) 1 45 68 17 29
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