The mass media has been urged to act freely, independently and responsibly with a view to ensure basic freedoms, human rights and democratic practices all of which are the best guarantors of freedom. In a Joint message for the World Press Freedom Day commemorated world-wide on May 3, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Director-General of UNESCO and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said "The greatest service that the media can perform in the fight against terrorism is to act freely, independently an responsibly."