World press summit heads for Lebanon in 2010

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) yesterday, 3 December 2009, announced Lebanon as the host country of the 63rd World Newspaper Congress, 17th World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo 2010, in Beirut from 7 - 10 June 2010.

It will be the first time the annual congress will be held in the Arab world.

The invitation to the events, to be hosted by Lebanon's An-Nahar newspaper, was issued at the annual general meeting of WAN-IFRA, held at this year¹s World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo 2009 in Hyderabad, India.

"The time is right for the world's press to meet in the Arab world, which has so much influence on world affairs, where the media is developing at a rapid rate, but which continues to struggle with repression of the basic human right to freedom of expression," said Timothy Balding, co-CEO of WAN-IFRA.

"And it is particularly appropriate to hold these meetings in Beirut, where the independent press has played a leading role for freedom and the right to speak out, not only in Lebanon, but in the entire Arab world," he said.

Follow the events at the 62nd World Newspaper Congress