The ceremony at the Himawari Hotel was attended by Information Minister Khieu Kanharith, reporters, and officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The ceremony focused on providing a dialogue forum for media representatives and civil society organizations to discuss challenges and other issues over reporter's safety in Cambodia, as told by the Club of Cambodian Journalists.
The meeting also discussed the role the government, national and international organizations, civil society, media and private sectors would play in ensuring safety of speech.
In 1993 the UN’s General Assembly designated May 3rd as World Press Freedom Day and created to promote and support press freedom and remind governments to reaffirm their commitment in respecting the freedom of expression.
The press freedom in Cambodia in 2013 worsened compared to last year's ranking.
French-based non-profit organization, Reporter Without Borders, said Cambodia ranked 143 among 179 countries regarding press freedom in 2013 compared to 2012, where the country ranked 117.
Freedom House, a U.S. based non-profit NGO, gave Cambodia a "not free" ranking of 149 out of 197 countries in the world, regarding press freedom in 2013.
In their report, Cambodia’s press freedom ranking was under Thailand’s (140) but ranks better than that of Myanmar (162), Laos (182) and Vietnam (182).
However, Cambodian officials stressed that press freedom in Cambodia is better than most ASEAN countries.
