1 to 4 May
Columbia Global Freedom of Expression WPFD Side Events Agenda
UNESCO World Press Freedom Day 2023
“Shaping a Future of Rights – Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights”
Columbia Global Freedom of Expression (GFoE) Side Events
On World Press Freedom Day 2023, UNESCO will organize a special anniversary event at UN headquarters in New York, marking the 30 years since the UN General Assembly’s decision proclaiming an international day for press freedom. This anniversary edition of World Press Freedom Day will include a full day of activities at the UN Headquarters on 2nd May. Partners from the media, academia, and civil society are invited to organize events in New York and around the world centered on this year’s theme: “Shaping a Future of Rights – Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights.”
Columbia Global Freedom of Expression is organizing a series of side events, the day prior and the days after the UN Headquarter activities. Our program’s current agenda includes twelve side events, in collaboration with partner organizations, including UNESCO, Meta’s Oversight Board, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, and the High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom.
All the events will be livestreamed on the GFoE YouTube channel.
Agenda
Monday, May 1
| 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM |
UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day 2023 Academic Conference: The Role of Academia in Protecting Freedom of Expression as a Driver for Other Human Rights
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, University of Liverpool, University of Sheffield, and Worlds of Journalism Study Speakers: Jackie Harrison, University of Sheffield; Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova, University of Liverpool; Gemma Horton, University of Sheffield; Sejal Parmar, Cardiff University; Edward L. Carter, Brigham Young University; Emily Harmer, University of Liverpool; Diana Maynard, University of Sheffield; Benjamin P. Tetteh, Syracuse University; Leire Iturregui Mardaras, University of the Basque Country; Rosalynd Southern, University of Liverpool; Ivor Shapiro, Toronto Metropolitan University; Smitha Khorana, Independent Journalist and Academic; Colette Wahlqvist and Binod Bhattarai, International Media Support and Tribhuwan University *In English |
| 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM |
“Weaponizing the Law: Attacks on Media Freedom.” Findings and Discussion with Guest Experts on Salient Points and Solutions
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and Tow Center for Digital Journalism Speakers: Hawley Johnson, Columbia GFoE; Antonio Zappulla, Thomson Reuters Foundation; Ona Flores, international human rights lawyer; Joel Simon, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism; Carlos Lauria, journalist and international press freedom expert *In English |
| 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
Shaping a Future of Rights: Latest Initiatives for the Protection of Journalists in Latin America and the Caribbean
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo, SOCOLAC (Society of Correspondents in Latin America and the Caribbean) Speakers: Rosa M. González, UNESCO; Nathalie Castillo, Chile Chamber of Deputies; Cristina Zahar, Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism; Eduardo Bertoni, Inter American Institute of Human Rights; Alejandra Negrete, Expert in gender and freedom of expression; Ginna Morelo, journalist; José María Costa, Bureau for the Safety of Journalists; Mauricio Weibel, SOCOLAC; Ricardo Rivas, SOCOLAC *In Spanish |
Wednesday, May 3
| 9:00 AM – 10:20 AM |
Protecting Freedom of Expression through Comparative Global Case Law: Databases to Advance Rights
Location: Satow Room, Lerner Hall, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE and UNESCO Speakers: Catalina Botero, Columbia GFoE; Hawley Johnson, Columbia GFoE; Juan Manuel Ospina, Columbia GFoE; Daniel Ospina Celis, Dejusticia; Nelly Chepngetich Rotich, Strathmore University, Natalie Alkiviadou, Future of Free Speech; Alberto Godioli, University of Groningen; Laura Little, Temple University Law School; Raisa Carrillo, Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa; Stephen Townley, Trial Watch, Clooney Foundation for Justice *In English |
| 10:45 AM – 11:55 AM |
Media Freedom in the face of Blasphemy Laws
Location: Satow Room, Lerner Hall, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, High Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom, and PEN America Speakers: Catalina Botero, Columbia GFoE; Can Yeginsu, Columbia Law School; Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, IBA Human Rights Institute; Hina Jilani, Supreme Court of Pakistan; Karuna Nundy, Supreme Court of India; Suzanne Nossel, PEN America *In English |
| 12:10 PM – 1:30 PM |
Content Moderation, Free Speech and the Eternal Search for TruthLocation: Satow Room, Lerner Hall, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, Meta Oversight Board, and PEN America Speakers: Catalina Botero, Columbia GFoE and Meta Oversight Board; Suzanne Nossel, PEN America and Meta Oversight Board; Alan Rusbridger, Prospect and Meta Oversight Board; Michael Zelenko, Rest of World; Preethi Nallu, Report for the World *In English |
| 1:30 PM – 2:50 PM |
New and Old Challenges to Guaranteeing Freedom of Expression in Latin America
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo, OBSERVACOM (Latin American Observatory for Regulation, Media and Convergence) Speakers: Camila Vallejo Dowling, Government of Chile; Rosa M. González, UNESCO; Gustavo Gómez, OBSERVACOM; Beatriz Solís Leree, Mexican Association of Audience Defenders; Damián Loreti, lawyer; Bia Barbosa, Coalition for Rights on the Web; Agustín Espada, National University of Quilmes *In Spanish |
| 3:20 PM – 4:45 PM |
Freedom of Expression, a Prerequisite for the Enjoyment of Other Human Rights in Latin America
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE and UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo Speakers: Rosa M. González, UNESCO; Pedro Vaca, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Edison Lanza, UNESCO; Catalina Botero, Columbia GFoE; Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International; Ricardo Pérez Manrique, Inter-American Court of Human Rights; Ricardo Calderón, Caracol Television *In Spanish |
| 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
|
Contributing to the Regional Dialogue on Content ModerationNote: This was a closed event. Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, UNESCO Regional Office in Montevideo, and Social Media 4 Peace Colombia *In Spanish |
Thursday, May 4
| 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM |
Press Freedoms in Decline: How Threats Against the Media Have Evolved Over the Past 15 Years
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE and Media Defence Speakers: Hawley Johnson, Columbia GFoE; Carlos Gaio, Media Defence; Aryeh Neier, Human Rights Campaigner; Khadija Ismayilova, Azerbaijani investigative journalist; Dariia Opryshko, media lawyer and author; Fatu Camara, journalist; Dana Green, The New York Times *In English |
| 12:00 PM – 1:20 PM |
Book Presentation: “Handbook for the defense of freedom of expression: Inter-American Standards for the defense of Freedom of Expression”
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, UNESCO Chair on Freedom of Expression at Universidad de Los Andes, Asomedios, and Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law Speakers: Catalina Botero, Columbia GFoE; Pedro Vaca, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; Edison Lanza, UNESCO; Tulio Ángel, Asomedios *In Spanish |
| 2:00 PM – 3:20 PM |
Report Launch: How are courts responding to SLAPPs? Analysis of selected court decisions from across the globe
Location: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, ARTICLE 19, and UNESCO Speakers: Catalina Botero, Columbia GFoE; Barbora Bukovska, ARTICLE 19; Mehdi Benchelah, UNESCO; Ginna Anderson, American Bar Association Center for Human Rights and Justice Defenders Program *In English |
| 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
Investigative journalism. A conversation with Colombian journalist Ricardo CalderónLocation: MLK Conference Room 527, Riverside Church, Columbia University Sponsored by: Columbia GFoE, CPJ, CUNY’s Journalism Protection Initiative Speakers: Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ (Moderator) and Ricardo Calderón, Colombian journalist (Panelist) *In Spanish |
*All times are in Eastern Time (ET)