The decision to hold the events from 2 to 5 September 2012 was made by the Executive Committee of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), meeting in Zürich, Switzerland. The meetings will follow Ukraine's hosting of the 2012 Euro Cup football championship earlier in 2012.
The Congress and Editors Forum will be hosted by the Ukrainian Association of Press Publishers and the Independent Regional Press Publishers of Ukraine.
This year's meetings will be held in Vienna, Austria, from 12 to 15 October next. More than 1,200 newspaper publishers, CEOs, Editors-in-chief, Managing Directors and other senior newspaper executives are expected to attend; for full details please consult www.worldnewspaperweek.org
The decision to hold the 64th World Newspaper Congress, 19th World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo 2012 in Kiev comes as the Ukrainian press operates in conditions that are evident in many post-Soviet countries: support for press freedom but weak protections that allow for recurrent violations.
"We are delighted that Kiev will host our 2012 meetings," said Christoph Riess, CEO of WAN-IFRA. "The city provides an outstanding venue with many attractions, and also offers us the opportunity to aid media development and work with our colleagues in Europe's second largest country.
"The Ukrainian press still faces conditions that makes independent reporting difficult and sometimes dangerous," he said. "We hope the presence in Kiev of hundreds of editors and publishers from around the world will help improve the media situation by focusing attention on the issues and through professional exchanges that are central to our meetings."
Borys Lozhkin, President of Ukrainian Media Holding, and Vice President of the Ukrainian Association of Press Publishers, said: "Ukraine has only 20 years of independence from the former Soviet Union, and is still developing its level of professional journalism and the right to freedom of the press. Media development in Ukraine still needs more interaction between Ukrainian journalists and editors with media professionals from all over the world. The World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum will foster not only the pace of this process itself, but also will influence state officials who are considering the role of free press in Ukraine in the legislative framework."
