By: Ashraf Sadek CAIRO, May 2, 2018 - The freedom of the press is the only guarantee for sound democratic practice in any society, the National Press Board (NPB) Chairman, Mr Karam Gabr, wrote in a statement on Wednesday. On the eve of the World Press Freedom Day, which has been celebrated worldwide each May 3 since 1993, Mr Gabr wrote that the NPB was assuming its duties towards developing and upgrading the local press economically, financially, administratively and technically. This year's global theme is "Keeping Power in Check: Media, Justice and The Rule of Law". It will cover media issues, the transparency of the political process, the independence of the judicial system and the accountability of state institutions to the public. The day will also examine the contemporary challenges of ensuring press freedom online. Nowadays, Mr Gabr wrote, the Egyptian press enjoys a suitable political, constitutional and legislative environment that enables journalists to assume their duties freely and play their supervisory and monitoring roles in the society. The current laws and constitution, he continued, have guaranteed the freedom of expression and banned any sort of censorship of what journalists want to write in their newspapers or magazines. All journalistic work was now being carried out at a time when Egypt was enjoying a high degree of transparency, Mr Gabr wrote. He added that the government had placed no restrictions on the work of journalists. Restrictions are only set by a journalist's professional conscience and the law, Mr Gabr wrote. Mr Gabr welcomed the theme of this year's celebration, which highlights the importance of enabling the legal environment for press freedom and gives special attention to the role of an independent judiciary in ensuring legal guarantees for press freedom and the prosecution of crimes against journalists. At the same time, he wrote, the 2018 theme addresses the role of the media in sustainable development and that the NPB fully appreciated the historic role of the Egyptian press and the honourable struggle undertaken by Egyptian journalists to assume their duties freely, independently and objectively. The World Press Freedom Day is a day on which to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of press freedom, and to assess the state of press freedom worldwide.
