FREEDOM OF PRESS: THE RIGHT TO KNOW PHOTO EXHIBITION LAUNCHED IN YEREVAN

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 3, 2010 – 21:03 AMT 16:03 GMT

Freedom of Press: the Right to Know is the theme of an OSCE-supported
photo exhibition that opened in Yerevan today to mark World Press
Freedom Day.

The one-week exhibition is organized by the Freedom of Information
Centre of Armenia non-governmental organization in co-operation with
the OSCE Office in Yerevan and the UN Department of Public Information,
and funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). It
features more than 30 images selected from 300 photos submitted for
the event; all photos included in the exhibition will be published
in a catalogue, OSCE press service reported.

The Head of the OSCE Office in Yerevan, Ambassador Sergey Kapinos,
welcomed the exhibition as a creative way to show public perceptions
about freedom of information and expression.

"Free access to information is key to the respect of human dignity and
enables citizens to take an active part in public life and exercise
their other human rights. This exhibition is a good opportunity to
highlight these issues and stimulate discussion," he said.

The opening of the exhibition was attended by journalists,
representatives of state institutions and civil society.

The President of the Freedom of Information Centre, Shushan Doydoyan,
said: "This is a special exhibition since everyone, journalists and
professional photographers in particular, were invited to present
their images illustrating freedom of information and freedom of
expression. These basic rights are intrinsically linked to press
freedom, which in turn contributes to strengthening democratization,
good governance and human development."