During the four days leading up to International Press Freedom Day (May 3), 43 outstanding Nigerien high school students participated in a Model U.N. focusing on journalists’ rights and press freedom.

From the minds of Niger’s future leaders came outstanding advocacy for a free and independent press. One team wrote a passionate plea for their fellow delegates to address the rights and safety of journalists. As they stated, journalists must have access to information, exercise their profession independently, and work with the assurance that free nations will defend their rights to safety. Other  resolutions addressed social media freedoms and censorship.

Partnering in this event were UNDP, IFTIC journalism school, and the Conseil National de la Jeunesse du Niger. The event received widespread television coverage, with several officials commenting on the comprehensiveness of the program.