The dangers that journalists face, including the risks to their lives, are highlighted every year in the magazine international day ending impunity for crimes against journalists, will take place on 2 November.
This year, the International Day coincides with the biennial International Day. UNESCO of the General Director Report on the Safety of Journalists and Impunity, which recorded a 38% increase in journalist killings compared to the previous study.
In his year 2024 message during the day, UN Secretary General António Guterres pointed out that Gaza has seen the highest number of killings of journalists and media workers in any war in decades, and called on governments to take urgent steps to protect protect journalists, investigate crimes against them and prosecute perpetrators.
TV reporter Mustafa Al-Bayed, reporting from Gaza.
Journalists in Gaza killed ‘at levels unprecedented in any conflict in modern times’
The war in Gaza will certainly dominate 2024 United Nations international communication conference on Peace in the Middle East on Friday, an annual event for the past three decades, with the aim of enhancing dialogue and understanding among media practitioners and promoting their contribution to support the peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a statement at the Conference, read by the UN’s head of global communications, Melissa Fleming, Mr Guterres noted that journalists in Gaza had been killed “at a level never before seen in any country”. any conflict in modern times,” adding that the ongoing ban is aimed at preventing international activities. journalists from Gaza “stifle the truth even more.”
Below is an excerpt of comments from Cheikh Niang, President of the Association United Nations Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian Peopleand Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations; Guilherme Canela, Head, Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists, UNESCO; and Mohammad Ali Alnsour, Head of Middle East and North Africa Division, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Cheikh Nuong: One year has passed since the events of October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants attacked what was then a brutal Israel. Israel’s response in Gaza.
Since then, access to information has been severely limited. Journalists were killed, newsrooms destroyed, foreign press blocked and communications cut off. Israeli forces, as the occupying power, have systematically destroyed Palestinian communications infrastructure. Silencing voices through restrictions, threats, targeted killings and censorship.
In the past 380 days, more than 130 Palestinian journalists have been murdered by Israeli forces in Gaza. These are the voices reporting on possible war crimes, silenced before their stories can be fully told.
Journalists in Gaza continue to cover the humanitarian crisis, often at great personal risk, providing the world with an accurate picture of the unfolding tragedy. We honor their courage and acknowledge that their loss has silenced their stories and severely limited public access to the truth.
Palestinian journalist Mohammad Awad reports from the scene (file)
Guilherme Canela: of the Director General of UNESCO Report on the Safety of Journalists and Impunity has, for many years, shown that the number of journalists killed in conflicts has decreased compared to the number of journalists killed in other situations.
This is not true of this report. Since the report we issued in 2017, it has completely changed because of the situation in Gaza. Journalists are killed because they tell a story, a story that concerns each of us and each citizen.
And frankly, it’s scary to see the level of mistrust in the world’s media and journalists. And this mistrust is happening because of the narrative of political leaders, of religious leaders, of celebrities against journalists and against journalism as a fundamental pillar of values. our democracy and the protection of human rights.
Mohammad Ali Alnsour: The media has a very important role to play in initiating the accountability process, starting with documenting crimes and violations, then investigations, then accountability and finally ultimately achieve peace. Unfortunately, this has not been the case in the occupied Palestinian territories for four decades now, nor is the problem of access limited to the media and journalists.
Under international humanitarian law, the occupying party, Israel, has an obligation to protect civilians, including journalists. We are hearing from politicians and senior leaders that it is permissible to kill civilians in order to achieve a minor military objective in the process, which violates proportionality, principle and also military needs..
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
Bi-annual awareness campaign to celebrate Birth Day International Day to End Impunity for Journalists coincides with the findings of Report outlines the current global and regional impunity status.
UNESCO is concerned that impunity will damage entire societies by covering up serious human rights violations, corruption and crime. Governments, civil society, the media and everyone with a stake in upholding the rule of law are being asked to join global efforts to end impunity.
