Human Rights Day and the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize: IAB highlights the inseparable link between human rights, democracy, and freedom of expression
On International Human Rights Day, celebrated every December 10 to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the International Broadcasting Association (IBA) underscores that full enjoyment of human rights is impossible without democracy, and that genuine democracy cannot exist without freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
This year, the commemoration coincides with the official ceremony awarding the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan democratic leader María Corina Machado, recognized for her “tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and her efforts to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
In his presentation speech, the President of the Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasized that “democracy is more than a form of government; it is also the foundation for lasting peace”—a statement fully shared by AIR and particularly relevant at a time when several authoritarian regimes in the region seek to silence critical voices and capture independent media.
In the remarks delivered in Oslo by her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, Machado stressed that the award “reminds the world that democracy is essential for peace” and warned that, for democracy to survive, societies must be willing to defend freedom every single day.
IAB echoes these words and recalls that freedom of expression and access to plural information are fundamental rights protected by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights. Without free journalists, independent media, and an informed citizenry, the promise of peace becomes empty.
On this day, IAB pays tribute to all those across the Americas and around the world who risk their safety and freedom to defend human rights and democracy, and reiterates its commitment to denouncing attacks against journalists and media, as well as all forms of direct or indirect censorship.