Journalism remains a dangerous profession despite efforts to protect journalists – UNESCO

Journalists around the world continue to come under undue pressure and attacks in the line of their work, making journalism a dangerous profession, despite all the efforts by organisations including the United Nations (UN) to protect journalists.

The International Day to end Impunity for crimes against journalists (IDEI) is being held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa on November 6 to 7, 2024.

The event will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the first IDEI, held in 2014 at the European Court of Human Rights, after the landmark establishment of the November 2, as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI) by the UN General Assembly in Resolution 68/163. 

This event will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2004, whose role is pivotal in safeguarding freedom of expression and safety of journalists in Africa.

In his speech, Dr Jelassi Tawfik, Assistant Director General, Communication and Information, UNESCO pledged UNESCO’s commitment to ensure that the Safety of Journalists platform, which is hosted by The African Editors Forum (TAEF) with other stakeholders works.

Dr Tawfik noted that global impunity rate measurement by UNESCO remains at 85 per cent, a decrease of 10 per cent in 12 years.

According to Dr Tawfik, as at December 2023, a total of 162 journalists have been killed, and for the first time, most of the deaths have occurred in conflict zones.

Doreen Apollos, Senior Communications Officer at the African Union Commission in her submission, said while the two journalists who were killed in Mali and as result of which November 2, was chosen to commemorate the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists, their deaths still remain unresolved.

She said too many journalists are paying a price, including death for doing their work, adding that the number of journalists who have been killed since 2017 has increased. The killing of women journalists has also gone up, she added.

The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI) is a global event that commemorates journalists who have been killed and highlights the risks they face.

UNESCO during the first day of the conference, launched the Global Repository of National/Regional Safety Mechanisms for Journalists.

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