Safety of journalists
Background
According to independent observers, such as the International Press Institute (IPI), over 900 journalists worldwide have died since the year 2000 due to their profession. There is a worldwide increase in attacks against journalists. The increase in targeted killings is of particular concern. Impunity for those responsible for attacks constitutes one of the biggest obstacles for the effective protection of journalists. 94% of reported cases remain unresolved and the offenders are never brought to justice.
The safety of journalists is a fundamental pillar of the universal, inalienable right to press-freedom, enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 Paragraph 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Each state has a clear duty to protect journalists, which includes enabling them to exercise their work independently without any interference, as well as to ensure access to information. However, there is a broad gap between existing international law and its actual implementation.
In order to effectively enhance the protection of journalists a comprehensive approach is needed, that includes media organizations, civil society groups, governments and international organizations.
What is Austria doing and what role does the UN- Human Rights Council play?
The Human Rights Council, as the supreme human rights body of the United Nations, has an important role to play to close the protection gap. Austria has made the protection of journalists a priority for her membership in the Human Rights Council, focussing her initiatives on the fight against impunity as well as on preventing future crimes against journalists.
As a first step, on 23 November high level expert consultations were held in Vienna upon joint initiative of the Austrian Government and the International Press Institute (IPI). Participants from international and regional organisations, Governments as well as civil society discussed concrete means of bolstering the safety of journalists around the world, especially through the United Nations and other international organizations.
The results of the Vienna meeting will be introduced into a series of activities in the framework of the Human Rights Council. The ultimate objective is to achieve a substantial resolution by the Council with a view to placing protection of journalists firmly on the international agenda.
