International Day to “End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists” to be marked tomorrow

ISLAMABAD, Nov 1 (APP):Like other parts of the globe, International Day to “End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists” will be marked on Nov 2 (Saturday) across the globe including Pakistan to highlight the attacks and violence against journalists and media workers.

A panel discussion on “Safety of Journalists and Ending Impunity in Conflict Situations” was co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations, and by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

In the past twelve years more than 1,000 journalists have been killed for reporting the news and bringing information to the public. In nine out of ten cases the killers go unpunished. Impunity leads to more killings and is often a symptom of worsening conflict and the breakdown of law and judicial systems. UNESCO is concerned that impunity damages whole societies by covering up serious human rights abuses, corruption, and crime.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 2 as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163. The Resolution urged Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity. The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on November 2, 2013.

It also urges Member States to do their utmost to prevent violence against journalists and media workers, to ensure accountability, bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers, and ensure that victims have access to appropriate remedies. It further calls upon States to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference.