Safety of Journalists
Promoting the safety of journalists and combatting impunity for those who attack them are central actions within UNESCO's support for press freedom and freedom of expression. We #ProtectJournalists by spearheading the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity in line with the relevant international commitments. We monitor and report on the killings, as reflected in the Observatory of Killed Journalists and by periodically requesting Member States to provide information on the status of judicial inquiries into these cases. We build and develop national and regional capacities to prevent, protect and prosecute attacks against journalists; advocate to take into account the specific risks women journalists face; and support legal protection of journalists worldwide. We lead the commemorations of World Press Freedom Day and the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists; and develop knowledge resources to and address the challenges.
6-7 November 2024, Addis Ababa
Our Challenges
Monitoring Killings of Journalists
UNESCO’s Global Repository: Gathering Best Practices for the Safety of Journalists
Discover UNESCO’s Global Repository—a living resource hub for journalists, media managers, policymakers, and civil society is now available. Documenting more than fifty national approaches, the Global Repository of National Safety Mechanisms for Journalists identifies the different ways countries protect journalists and shares the best practices.
Knowing the Truth is Protecting the Truth
Accountability. Without it, crimes just like this one go unpunished. 9 out of 10 journalist killings remain unsolved. Indifference is the deadliest weapon. Don’t let their deaths be invisible to society, .
What would a world without independent media look like?
Without the work of independent journalists providing us with reliable information, who would report on issues of public interest, denounce wrongdoings, social inequalities and unpunished crimes? Protecting journalists and independent journalism is not only a concern for journalists. It’s a concern for all. Journalism makes an impact on people’s lives. It is key in advancing human rights and has a basic function to hold the powerful accountable. The information that journalists provide to us is a public good which needs public support.