The Windhoek Declaration has been officially added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World register.

The announcement was made on Wednesday during a ceremony in Brussels.

The Windhoek Declaration was created in 1991 by African journalists and media professionals during a UNESCO seminar in Windhoek.

The Declaration called for an independent, pluralistic, and free press in Africa and set a worldwide foundation for press freedom movements.

Veteran journalist Gwen Lister, one of the key figures behind the declaration and the chairperson of the NMT Media Foundation, spoke at the inscription ceremony.

She said that while some governments resisted press freedom back then, the public's desire for free and fair journalism was growing.

Other key individuals involved in the 1991 declaration included journalists from Togo, Cameroon, and Ghana, among others.

The NMT Media Foundation Executive Director Zoé Titus praised the recognition by UNESCO, saying it helps protect the declaration for future generations.

Titus also thanked the Namibian government for its ongoing support and called for continued efforts to uphold the principles of the Windhoek Declaration, especially in today’s digital world.