An online conference on the occasion of the International Day of Universal Access to Information.

In 2019, the 74th UN General Assembly proclaimed 28 September as the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

In commemoration of this date and to draw the attention of the international community to the issues of disseminating information as an element of ensuring sustainable development, the Public Foundation for Support and Development of National Mass Media, together with the OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan, are organizing an International Online Conference dedicated to the Universal Access to Information.

Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications; Tuula Yrjölä, Officer-in-Charge/OSCE Secretary General; Komil Allamjonov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mass Media Foundation; Saida Mirziyoyeva, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Mass Media Foundation; Ulrika Funered, Ambassador of Sweden to the OSCE and Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council in 20214; Jürgen Heissel, Director of the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; John MacGregor, OSCE Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan; Helena Fraser, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Uzbekistan; Barbara Trionfi, Executive Director, International Press Institute; Javad Mottaghi, Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, and about 150 national and international experts from 40 countries are expected to attend the conference.

The importance of ensuring universal access to information, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic will be discussed at this conference. The event will provide an opportunity to exchange views on existing resources for expanding access to information, as well as study advanced international practices and the positive experience accumulated by Uzbekistan in recent years in this sphere, which, in turn, will allow a deeper understanding of current problems and discuss possible ways to overcome them.