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Tag: António Guterres

  • UN chief, António Guterres appoints Nigerian Gbenga Sesan on Internet Governance Forum

    UN chief, António Guterres appoints Nigerian Gbenga Sesan on Internet Governance Forum

    UN Secretary General António Guterres has appointed a Nigerian social entrepreneur, Gbenga Sesan to serve on his inaugural Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Leadership Panel.

    The UN chief also appointed nine other high-level and eminent persons to serve on the IGF Panel for two-year term during the 2022 to 2023 IGF cycles.

    Spokesman for the Secretary-General, Mr Stéphane Dujarric announced this at a news conference on Tuesday at UN headquarters in New York.

    Dujarric said Guterres established the Panel to support and strengthen the IGF, an annual meeting to discuss public policy issues pertaining to the Internet.

    “Panel members will address strategic and urgent issues and highlight Forum discussions, as well as possible follow-up actions, to promote greater impact and dissemination of IGF discussions, according to its Terms of Reference.

    “They were appointed by the Secretary-General following an open call for nominations, and in line with “an equitably distributed, multistakeholder configuration” of representatives from Government, the private sector, civil society and the technical community, as well as prominent persons in the field of digital policy.’’

    The spokesman said the Panel also consists of five ex-officio members: senior representatives of the current, immediately previous, and immediately upcoming IGF host countries; the Chair of the Forum’s Multistakeholder Advisory Group, as well as the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology, Mr Amandeep Singh Gill.

    The Internet Governance Forum is an outcome of the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WISS) that took place in 2005.

    The first phase was held in Geneva in December 2003.

    In the Tunis Agenda, Governments asked the UN Secretary-General to convene a “new forum for policy dialogue” to discuss issues related to key elements of Internet governance.

    The Forum’s mandate was extended for another 10 years in December 2015, during the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on the overall review of the implementation of WISS outcomes.

    The 17th edition of the IGF will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.

  • UN Chief Guterres congratulates Kenya on peaceful elections

    UN Chief Guterres congratulates Kenya on peaceful elections

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has congratulated the people of Kenya for the peaceful voting during the general elections on August 9.

    Mr Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General said this at a news conference on Thursday at UN headquarters in New York.

    “He trusts that all political stakeholders and the Kenyan people will continue to demonstrate the same level of calm.

    “That they will continue to demonstrate same level of calm, patience and respect for the electoral process as they await the announcement of the results of the polls in accordance with the legal timeframe,’’ Dujarric quoted Guterres as saying.

    He notes the important work done by the Kenyan authorities and electoral management bodies, the active engagement of numerous national stakeholders and the unwavering commitment of the voters to duly exercise their constitutional right to vote.

    The secretary-general reiterates the availability of the United Nations to continue to support the efforts of the Kenyan authorities and people in the advancement of the democratic process in Kenya.

    The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati said in an update on Tuesday evening that voting had been concluded in all polling stations across the country and counting started.

    Chebukati noted that the tallying was being done at three levels namely polling centres, constituencies and at the national stage.

    At the national tallying centre, he said they are verifying transmitted images of the forms used in capturing results.

    The forms are being transmitted from polling centre

    However, two days after the general election, officials are yet to announce who is leading the presidential race in East Africa’s regional powerhouse.

    Yet, confused citizens were seen struggled to make sense of divergent tallies from the media in a nail-bitingly close race.

    Media houses are compiling results from images of forms that the election commission uploaded on to its website from more than 46,229 polling stations, a mammoth task that means their tallies lag far behind the amount of raw data available.

    Meanwhile, some citizens were worried that the media’s differing tallies could inflame claims of rigging, which had sparked violence in past elections; many urged fellow citizens to wait for the official results.

    “There is so much impatience due to media reports, because they are varying. Given the experience that we have in Kenya, we have to be patient and just wait,’’ said Ongao Okello, as he scrutinised newspapers being sold on a street corner in the western town of Eldoret.

    Veteran opposition leader and former political prisoner Raila Odinga, 77, is making his fifth stab at the presidency. He is neck and neck with Deputy President William Ruto, 55.

    The outgoing President, Uhuru Kenyatta has reached his two-term limit, he has endorsed Odinga for president after falling out with Ruto after the last election.

    Kenyan election authorities have proceeded with tallying cautiously, wary of the mistakes that caused the Supreme Court to nullify the results last time and order a re-run.

    Media houses have filled the information gap by recruiting hundreds of people to manually input results from the images of results forms into spreadsheets.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that general elections were held in Kenya on Aug. 9.

    Voters elected the President, members of the National Assembly and Senate, county governors of Kenya and members of the 47 county assemblies of Kenya. General elections in Kenya are held every five years.

  • Hiroshima bombing @77: UN chief calls for global nuclear disarmament

    Hiroshima bombing @77: UN chief calls for global nuclear disarmament

    UN Secretary General António Guterres on Saturday called for global nuclear disarmament, saying it is totally unacceptable for states in possession of nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of a nuclear war.

    Guterres said this in Japan at a Peace Memorial Ceremony, marking the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

    “Nuclear weapons are nonsense. Three-quarters of a century later, we must ask what we’ve learned from the mushroom cloud that swelled above this city in 1945,’’ he said in a statement.

    The secretary-general warned that a new arms race is picking up speed and world leaders are enhancing stockpiles at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars with almost 13,000 nuclear weapons currently held in arsenals around the world.

    “…Crises with grave nuclear undertones are spreading fast — from the Middle East to the Korean peninsula, to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… Humanity is playing with a loaded gun,” he cautioned.

    Guterres called the ongoing Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in New York a ‘sign of hope’.

    “Today, from this sacred space, I call on this Treaty’s members to work urgently to eliminate the stockpiles that threaten our future, to strengthen dialogue, diplomacy and negotiation, and to support my disarmament agenda by eliminating these devices of destruction,” he said.

    He underscored that countries with nuclear weapons must commit to the “no first use” of them, and assure other states that they will not use –or threaten to use—nuclear weapons against them.

    “We must keep the horrors of Hiroshima in view at all times, recognising there is only one solution to the nuclear threat: not to have nuclear weapons at all,” the UN chief said.

    Guterres emphasised that leaders could hide from their responsibilities.

    “Take the nuclear option off the table — for good.  It’s time to proliferate peace. Heed the message of the hibakusha: “No more Hiroshimas! No more Nagasakis!”, he said, recognising that in 1945, two atomic bombs were detonated over the skies of Japan – first in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, and Nagasaki three days later, on Aug. 9.

    Guterres also sent a message to the young people urging them to finish the work that the hibakusha had begun.

    “The world must never forget what happened here. The memory of those who died — and the legacy of those who survived — will never be extinguished,” he said.

    The secretary-general also met five surviving victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, known as Hibakusha, and heard their stories.

    He expressed his admiration for them, acknowledging that they had suffered enormously but have overcome trauma with ‘enormous courage and resilience’.

    Guterres also called them an example for the world, and told the three women and two men reunited with him that they have the moral authority to tell leaders that ‘nuclear weapons are nonsense’.

    “The UN is committed to keeping the memory of what happened alive, and to make sure that your stories echo forever,” he said.

    The hibakusha told the UN chief how they had remained engaged in issues of peace and disarmament for most of their lives, noting that for example, one of them wrote a song to raise awareness and another illustrated her experiences in pictures.

    They all expressed their desire that young people also understand the crude reality of nuclear weapons.

    Guterres was also part of an informal dialogue session with young Japanese activists currently leading initiatives on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and other global issues.

    He spoke about the current state of the world, including the triple planetary crisis, the raging inequality, and widespread armed conflict.

  • Nelson Mandela was a healer, mentor to generations – UN Chief

    Nelson Mandela was a healer, mentor to generations – UN Chief

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has hailed the late Nelson Mandela, the first black President of Post-Apartheid South Africa and racial justice icon for the outstanding legacy he left after his demise.

    Guterres described Mandela as a healer and mentor to generations, in a video message to mark Mandela International Day, commemorated on July 18 annually.

    “Nelson Mandela – or Madiba, the clan name he’s affectionately known by at home – was a healer of communities and a mentor to generations.

    “He walked the path to freedom and dignity with steely determination – and with compassion and love.”

    According to him, Mandela is “a giant of our time”, who remains a “moral compass” for us all.

    Guterres further described the champion of a free and democratic South Africa who spent nearly three decades in prison resisting the racist Apartheid regime, as “a leader of unparalleled courage and towering achievement; and a man of quiet dignity and deep humanity.”

    He demonstrated through his life that everyone has the ability – and responsibility – to build a better future, the UN chief said.

    “Our world today is marred by war; overwhelmed by emergencies; blighted by racism, discrimination, poverty, and inequalities; and threatened by climate disaster.

    “Let us find hope in Nelson Mandela’s example and inspiration in his vision.”

    In addition, the UN chief that the best way to honour his legacy is by taking action, amid a rising in hate speech around the world, everyone has the duty to speak out.

    “Everyone has the duty to speak out and stand up for human rights, by embracing our common humanity – rich in diversity, equal in dignity, united in solidarity.”

    “Together and by following Madiba’s example, we can make our world, “more just, compassionate, prosperous, and sustainable for all,” the secretary-general said.

    Newsmen reports that Mandela died on Dec. 5, 2013, in Johannesburg.

    He was 95 years.

  • Antonio Guterres condemns attack on peacekeeper in Mali

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Sunday strongly condemned an attack in Kidal, a city in northern Mali, against a convoy of UN peacekeepers that claimed the life of a blue helmet.

    The Guinean peacekeeper was killed by an improvised explosive device, which detonated during a UN Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) mine detection operation.

    “The secretary-general conveys his heartfelt condolences to the family of the victim and his brothers in arms, as well as to the people and authorities of Guinea,” UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

    Guterres recalled that under international law, attacks targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes.

    He called on the Malian authorities to “spare no effort” in identifying the perpetrators so that they can swiftly be brought to justice swiftly

    “The secretary-general reaffirms the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and authorities of Mali in their pursuit of peace and security,” Haq said.

    Similarly, the UN Special Representative for Mali and MINUSMA head, El-Ghassim Wane, also firmly denounced the attack and extended his deepest condolences to the Government of the deceased peacekeeper and his family.

    Since the beginning of the year, several attacks involving IEDs have been recorded against MINUSMA uniformed personnel, which have killed a number of peacekeepers and injured others.

    “This latest incident illustrates, once again, the complexity of the environment in which the Mission operates and of the security challenges it faces on a daily basis.

    “I salute the commitment of our Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams who put their lives at risk to preserve those of their colleagues and the civilian population,” he added.

    “Their role is crucial to the conduct of our operations,” Wane said.

    The special representative reaffirmed the Mission’s commitment to continue to implement its mandate in the pursuit of peace and security in Mali.

  • Terrorist groups ‘exploiting power vacuums’, UN chief warns

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that while the number of deaths from terrorism has declined, the overall threat is far from over particularly in Africa as they exploit power vacuums.

    Guterres said this while addressing the latest meeting of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, which brings together UN agencies, Member States and other partners in New York on Wednesday.

    The terrorism threat to Africa is increasing, he told participants.

    Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 48 per cent of deaths attributed to terrorist groups globally inn 2021.

    “Groups like Al-Qaida, Da’esh and their affiliates are continuing to grow in the Sahel and make inroads into Central and Southern Africa.

    “They are exploiting power vacuums, longstanding inter-ethnic strife, internal weaknesses and state fragilities,” he said.

    In conflict-affected countries, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Libya and Somalia, terrorism has intensified cycles of violence, fuelling further instability, undermining peace efforts, and setting back development goals.

    Meanwhile, in largely peaceful countries, such as Mozambique and Tanzania, terrorists are now seeking to exploit and manipulate societal grievances and mistrust in governments.

    Despite these challenges, Guterres was convinced that progress is possible, based on his visit to Borno State in northern Nigeria in May.

    Formerly a stronghold of the extremist group Boko Haram, the region is now on the road to reconciliation and reintegration.

    “I was so impressed by the meeting I had with former fighters in one of the centres, with the meetings I had with victims and with this sense that Boko Haram, that was born in Borno State, is now clearly losing ground.

    “It is losing ground because the people have assumed largely, themselves, the capacity to undermine the work and the terrorist actions of Boko Haram,” he said.

    The secretary-general stressed that the international community cannot effectively address terrorism without tackling the conditions conducive to its spread, such as weak institutions, inequalities, poverty, hunger, and injustice.

    The UN’s Counter Terrorism Strategy takes an integrated and holistic approach to the issue, which calls for investing in health, education, protection, gender equality and justice systems accessible to all.

    “It means creating truly democratic systems and processes, so every person can have a voice in the future of their communities and countries – and trust that their voices will be heard and reflected.

    “It means placing human rights and rule of law as the foundation of our work,” he said.

    Guterres said the UN Counter-Terrorism Compact would continue to support countries in their counter-terror efforts, including through technical assistance, capacity-building, and in helping to build institutions that focus on people and are grounded in human rights and the rule of law.

    The Compact is the largest coordination framework across the UN’s three pillars of work: peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights and humanitarian affairs.

    It was developed following the establishment of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) in June 2017, considered the Secretary-General’s first major institutional reform after taking office that January.

  • UN now recognises the Republic of Turkey as “Turkiye” – Spokesperson

    The United Nations has approved the change of name request from the Republic of Turkey which now wants to be known and addressed as “Türkiye”, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has confirmed.

    Dujarric said the country’s name change became effective from the moment the letter was received.

    The government had been pushing for the country to be recognised as Turkiye (pronounced tur-key-ye) as it is spelt and pronounced in Turkish since December. It is the name the country called itself when it gained independence in 1923.

    In a letter addressed to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, requesting the use of “Türkiye” instead of “Turkey” for all affairs which was received on Wednesday from the Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, the country said the new name better represents Turkish culture and values, allowing them to determine how the country is seen.

    Turkish ministers started using it in official documents last year and “Made in Turkey” on exported products has also been ordered to change to “Made in Türkiye”.

    RT World, a Turkish news channel, explained in an article earlier this year that googling “turkey” shows a “muddled set of images, articles and dictionary definitions” that confuses the country with the “bird native to North America”.

    It added, the Cambridge dictionary defines Turkey as “something that fails badly” or “stupid or silly person”.

    Earlier this year the Turkish government released a promotional video showing tourists from around the world saying “Hello Turkiye” at famous destinations.

    The Turkish presidency’s directorate of communications said it launched the campaign “to promote more effectively the use of ‘Turkiye’ as the country’s national and international name on international platforms”.

     

     

     

  • United Nations’ Guterres: Chief servant of many masters – By Owei Lakemfa

    United Nations’ Guterres: Chief servant of many masters – By Owei Lakemfa

    The tours through Europe and Africa from April 26, 2022, by Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, raised once again the powers, importance and relevance of the world body.

    The tours reinforced my analysis that the UN scribe is basically a funambulist, an acrobat walking a tightrope or slack on the world stage. He has to be faithful to many masters with conflicting interests, especially the five permanent members of the UN Security Council each of who, at will, can veto whatever he does or deny him a second term in office as was done to Boutros Boutros-Ghali in 1996.

    When Guterres visited Europe over the Ukrainian Conflict, he was aware that two permanent members, China and Russia, are on one side, and the three other members: the United States, Britain and France, are on the other. It was like a man tiptoeing through a landmine. He had visited Russia before crossing over to Ukraine. He received a barrage of attacks for not visiting Ukraine first. But did it really matter which country he visited first? Secondly, the visit, coming in the third month of the war was late when the UN in the first place, should have prevented the war. True? Can the UN effectively intervene in a war in which its permanent members have no meeting point?

    I think these attacks were tactics meant to intimidate Guterres into feeling some guilt that he had not championed the cause of Ukraine. Ukraine, before this visit, had attacked the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, for not allegedly being effective in addressing the humanitarian crisis in which 12 million persons are in need of assistance. It had also attacked the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, for alleged inaction. In fact, ICRC President, Peter Maurer, who visited Russia, was accused of being in bed with the former.

    In Moscow, Guterres and President Vladimir Putin discussed proposals for humanitarian assistance and evacuation of civilians from conflict zones, especially in the port city of Mariupol where thousands of civilians, Ukrainian troops and non-state far-right combatants remain holed up in the Azovstal steel mill. Guterres said possible war crimes – a refrain of Ukraine and its supporters – will require independent investigation for effective accountability. He proposed the establishment of a tripartite Humanitarian Contact Group comprising Russia, Ukraine and the UN “to look for opportunities for the opening of safe corridors, with local cessations of hostilities, and to guarantee that they are actually effective”.

    The UN scribe raised the energy and food crises the war has caused adding: “This comes on top of the shock of the continued COVID-19 pandemic and uneven access to resources for recovery, that particularly penalize developing countries around the world. So, the sooner peace is established, the better – for the sake of Ukraine, Russia, and for the world.” Guterres who had repeatedly called for ceasefires said: “But it is my deep conviction that the sooner we end this war, the better – for the people of Ukraine, for the people of the Russian Federation, and those far beyond.” But he had no ceasefire plans nor any for a negotiated settlement.

    He was merely a “messenger of peace.” On April 28, Guterres crossed into Ukraine visiting the Kyiv suburbs of Borodianka, Bucha and Irpin, claimed places of war crimes, where he said the “horrific scenario demonstrates something that is, unfortunately, always true: civilians always pay the highest price”.

    He added: “I fully support the International Criminal Court and I appeal to the Russian Federation to accept to cooperate with the International Criminal Court.”

    As in Russia, while he seemed worried about the war and its effects, he did not press for a ceasefire or immediate peace talks. Yet he knew that the war is devastating for humanity. When he flew to Senegal, Guterres told the African continent that its twin challenges of COVID-19 and climate change have with the Ukrainian War, become threefold.

    He emphasised that the war is aggravating a “triple food, energy and financial crisis”, which could push more people into hunger and result in socio-political crises. Guterres is aware that the combatants in Ukraine, their backers and cheerleaders do not want an immediate end to the war, so despite his personal belief, he is not pushing for peace. All he does is make loud lamentations about the war. In the Niger Republic where he arrived on May 2, his theme was about terrorism in the region.

    Referring to the terrorism in the Tillabéri, Tahoua and Diffa in the northwest, south and southeast of the Niger Republic, and cross border attacks in the Maradi region by terrorists operating from Nigeria, Guterres told President Mohamed Bazoum, that “peace, stability and prosperity in Niger and across the Sahel remains an absolute priority for the United Nations.”

    The UN says in Niger where 80 per cent of the populace depends on agriculture, a combination of climate change and terrorism has forced many off the farms and that 15 per cent of its 25 million people, will require humanitarian assistance in 2022.

    The situation in Nigeria raised the issue of how much the UN and its leadership know and how the state can control access.

    Guterres had visited Borno State this Tuesday and interacted with displaced persons and repentant Boko Haram members.

    Based on this and what he saw, he said: “I want to congratulate the Governor for what I see today. I want to strongly appeal to the international community to understand Borno as a state of hope, to support humanitarian action in Borno, to recognise the enormous challenges that Borno faces with climate change and Boko Haram activities, and to invest in Borno of hope.”

    While this is commendable, the question is why other major areas of terrorism, especially Plateau and Benue states where terrorists, mainly from outside the country, occupy countless towns and villages, pillaging, murdering and seizing the homesteads of the people, were not on the schedule of the UN scribe.

    Just like Borno, these states are devastated with many living for years now in Internally Displaced Peoples camps. Does the Nigerian Government not want these states and their terror victims to be assisted by the UN? Why is the government exhibiting the terrorist activities in the North East for the world to assist while seemingly keeping those in the North Central under wraps?

    This raises the issue of whether during visits to countries, the UN Secretary-General should meet only with governments while leaving out non-state actors. Can this be part of the problem; that the UN scribe is a chief servant with many masters who happen to be the governments of member states? Does humanity need a UN that is faithful to state agents rather than to the human race?

  • UN Chief visits rehabilitation centre, IDP camp in Maiduguri

    UN Chief visits rehabilitation centre, IDP camp in Maiduguri

    The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, on a visit to Nigeria on Tuesday in Maiduguri, visited a rehabilitation centre for victims of Boko-Haram and an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.

    During the visits Gutteres, who showed concern over the plight of the affected persons, expressed UN commitment to continue to support measures to ameliorate their sufferings.

    Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno who briefed the secretary on the situation in Borno, lauded UN for its support to the state and urged for more.

    Zulum noted that many of the IDPs had stayed for several years in camps and were earger to return to thier recovered homes but the destroyed structures were yet to be reconstructed.

    He urged for more UN support in the ongoing rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement of the IDPs.

    At the rehabilitation home, the Borno Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zuwaira Gambo, said from 2016 to date, the centre had rehabilitated 7039 women and children affected by the insurgency.

    Newsmen reports that the UN secretary, who was scheduled to address the press in Maiduguri, could not visit the border town of Banki as earlier scheduled because of time factor.

  • WPFD: UN chief laments increasing “politicisation” of media

    WPFD: UN chief laments increasing “politicisation” of media

    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said journalists and media workers are facing increasing “politicisation” of their work and threats to their freedom for simply doing their jobs.

    Guterres said this in his message to mark World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday.

    The World Press Freedom Day is annually observed on May 3, to inform the international community that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights.

    “The day shines a spotlight on the essential work they do, bringing those in power to account, with transparency, ‘often at great person risk’,” the secretary-general said in a video message.

    “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many media workers have been on the frontlines, providing accurate, science-based reporting to inform decision-makers and save lives.

    “At the same time, journalists who cover climate, biodiversity and pollution have succeeded in bringing global attention to this triple planetary crisis,’’ he said.

    According to him, the threats to their freedom to go about their reporting and story-telling fairly and accurately, are multiplying daily.

    “From global health to the climate crisis, corruption, and human rights abuses, they face increased politicisation of their work and attempts to silence them from many sides.

    “Digital technology has democratised access to information. But it has also created serious challenges.”

    The UN chief noted that many social media platforms make their money not through increasing access to fact-based reporting, but on boosting engagement, which often means provoking outrage, and spreading lies.

    “Media workers in war zones are threatened not only by bombs and bullets, but by the weapons of falsification and disinformation that accompany modern warfare.

    “They may be attacked as the enemy, accused of espionage, detained, or killed, simply for doing their jobs.”

    Guterres said that digital technology, was also making censorship easier for authoritarian governments and others, seeking to suppress the truth, with many journalists and editors facing the prospect of their work being taken offline on a daily basis.

    Digital technology is also creating new “channels for oppression and abuse”, with women journalists “at particular risk” of online harassment and violence.

    The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has found that nearly three-quarters of women respondents had experienced online violence.

    Hacking and illegal surveillance also prevent journalists from doing their jobs.

    “The methods and tools change, but the goal of discrediting the media and covering up the truth remains the same as ever.

    “Without freedom of the press, there are no real democratic societies. Without freedom of the press, there is no freedom,” he said.

    Ten years ago, the UN established a Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, to protect media workers and end impunity for crimes committed against them, and the UN is continuing to fight to protect their rights.

    This year’s World Press Freedom Day Global Conference, began on Monday, and will run until May 5 in Punta Del Este, Uruguay, built around the theme Journalism under Digital Siege.

    Participants will discuss the impact of the digital era on freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, access to information and privacy.