The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the 16th of which is “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions,” namely: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Under this major goal, there are 12 targets, the 16.10 of which is “By 2030, ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.”Journalists and media freedom face continuing risks worldwideThe year of 2023 marked one more devastating year for journalism. A total of 71 journalists and media workers were killed, and 320 journalists and media workers were imprisoned, which achieved the highest number ever.In a consultation conducted by UNESCO in March 2024 among 900 environmental journalists from 129 countries, more than two-thirds declared that they had suffered attacks, threats or pressure linked to their activities. Of these, two out of five had subsequently suffered physical violence.Nowadays, less than a quarter (23%) of the global population live in Open and Less Restricted expression environments. Over the last decade from 2013 to 2023, 6.2 billion people across 78 countries experienced a deterioration of their freedom of expression; only 303 million people across 18 countries saw improvement. Accelerated popularization of Internet improves people's well-being
On March 22, 2024, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the 53rd “Statistical Report on the Development of Internet in China” in Beijing. The report shows that as of December 2023, the number of Internet users in China reached 1.092 billion with an increase of 24.8 million compared with December 2022, and the Internet penetration rate reached 77.5%. The number of rural Internet users reached 326 million with an increase of 17.88 million compared with December 2022, and the bridging of urban-rural digital divide was accelerated. This reflects that China continues to accelerate the popularization of information services, narrow the digital divide, adhere to the protection and improvement of people’s livelihood in development, and allow more people to share the benefits of Internet development.This graph shows the penetration rate of Internet in the rural areas of China from 2014 to 2023. Graph: StatistaEuropean Media Freedom Act enters into forceOn May 6, 2024, new rules against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) started to apply, providing journalists and human rights defenders with tools to fight back against abusive court proceedings.On May 7, 2024, the European Media Freedom Act entered into force. It supports editorial independence and media pluralism, enhances transparency and fairness, and promotes better cooperation of media authorities through a new European Board for Media Services.Photo: European CommissionThese initiatives are part of a European strategy for the media, building on the European Democracy Action Plan and the Media and Audiovisual Action Plan. A recent study also shows that EU countries are making progress in implementing the European Commission’s Recommendation on the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists. The new rules will help ensure that journalists can carry out their work in a healthy media landscape. Source: European CommissionFree speech on the climate emergency strengthened globallyPhoto: International Bar Association’s Human Rights InstituteIn December 1993, the UN General Assembly proclaimed May 3 of each year as World Press Freedom Day. It is set to spread awareness about the importance of freedom of the press in functioning, the information provided, and its significance and to awaken the government of its duty to uphold and respect the right to freedom of expression.To celebrate the value of truth and to protect the people who work courageously to uncover it, the theme of World Press Freedom Day 2024 was centered around “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.” The four international Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression released their 2024 Joint Declaration on the Climate Crisis and Freedom of Expression in Santiago, Chile.Photo: Alexandros Michailidis / ShutterstockThe joint declaration enumerates the actions that states must undertake to ensure that journalists, media outlets, civil society organizations, environmental or other human rights defenders, and everyone in society can meaningfully participate in addressing the climate crisis. This includes the protection of journalists and whistleblowers and others who frequently encounter elevated risks due to their work.China launches initiative to boost national digital literacyChinese authorities, including the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, jointly issued the “Key Points for Improving Digital Literacy and Skills for All in 2024” in February 2024 to support the development of the digital economy. This collaborative strategy is designed to yield results across the nation by the end of 2024.Key areas of the plan include cultivating high-level digital talent, promoting digital literacy among leaders and public servants, fostering digital competence in schools, and ensuring that all citizens have equal access to digital resources, thereby reducing the digital division. The plan also stresses the need to accelerate digital transformation in businesses, and emphasizes the importance of creating an inclusive digital environment and promoting accessible and efficient digital public services.Building an information bridge for people with disabilitiesThe Accessibility Research Association (ARA), an NGO based in China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen, has been working with major internet and software companies nationwide to bridge the technological gap. The ARA engineers serve as an important bridge between the internet industry and disabled users.Shen Guangrong is a visually impaired software engineer who has been working at ARA for the past few years. Shen has made a name for himself for his efforts over the years to improve information accessibility. He runs a website for visually impaired people and has developed various software products, including a mini program to support the management of blind massage businesses and an online translation tool.Shen Guangrong tests information accessibility functions for software. Photo: The PaperAs one of the earliest information accessibility engineers in China, Shen has witnessed how technology has gradually changed the lives of the visually impaired. With the help of screen reading software, they can shop online, read books, read news, order takeaways, and even use computers independently.For engineers in the ARA, their mission is to prevent people with visual impairments from being left behind, improving information accessibility by helping developers eliminate the many obstacles facing disabled users. They hope that their contributions can create a more inclusive world.Source: The Paper, Sixth ToneSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiated by the United NationsOn January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind.
