Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on the International Day of the Midwife, 5 May 2020

Baghdad, Iraq, 4 May 2020 - UNESCO Iraq Office, with the cooperation of the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, and with participation from the Ministry of Interior and the Iraqi Press Association, organized a virtual meeting with journalists from all governorates to celebrate World Press Freedom Day.

3 May 2020, Mosul, Iraq - The restoration and rehabilitation of the Aghawat Mosque Complex in the Old City of Mosul is well underway. In close coordination with the Iraqi Armed Forces, UNESCO initiated the first phase of activities by clearing the rubble and UXOs from the complex as well as securing the project site for reconstruction.

3 May 2020, Baghdad, Iraq – This month the Government of Iraq with the support of UNFPA and UNICEF, unveiled the results of its National Adolescent and Youth Survey.

At a time when we are mired in worry and uncertainty because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, free information is essential to helping us face, understand, think about and overcome this crisis.

The World Press Freedom Day, proclaimed in 1993 by the United Nations, was inspired by the efforts of African journalists who in 1991 produced the landmark Windhoek Declaration, calling for media pluralism and independence.

Theme: “Journalism Without Fear or Favour”.

Baghdad — The Government of Japan is supporting the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Iraq’s continued efforts to leverage the security-development nexus in Iraq, providing IOM with a further USD 3.63 million in funding for 2020-21.