UN bodies adopt action plan to improve journalists' safety

New Delhi, Sept 19 (PTI) Concerned over growing number of
attacks on journalists around the world, representatives of UN
bodies have adopted an action plan to improve safety of media
professionals and combat impunity of crimes against them.
The representatives who gathered at a two-day meeting at
UNESCO headquarters in Paris have drafted an "Action Plan"
detailing a number of measures to improve the safety of
journalists who run a high risk of being killed, abducted,
physically and sexually assaulted or even illegally arrested.
The measures in the Draft Plan include the setting up of
a coordinated inter-agency mechanism to handle issues related
to the safety of journalists and impunity. "This will involve
monitoring of progress at both national and international
levels," UNESCO said in a release.
"Safety and impunity are also to be incorporated into UN
contributions to national strategies, notably development
assistance programmes and the possible inclusion of media
stakeholders in some of the preparatory processes of the UN's
development projects," it said.
The draft also foresees the extension of work already
conducted by UNESCO to prevent crimes against media workers.
"This includes assisting countries to develop legislation
and mechanisms favourable to freedom of expression and
information, and by supporting their efforts to implement
existing international rules and principles, especially the
1997 UNESCO General Conference Resolution concerning violence
against journalists," the release said.
The resolution stipulates that there should be no statute
of limitations on crimes against freedom of expression.
Further, the draft calls for raising awareness about the
issues of freedom of expression, journalists' safety and the
danger of impunity to democracy in member countries.
According to UNESCO, over 500 journalists and other media
workers have been killed in the course of their duties over
the past decade. Many more have been assaulted, abducted,
sexually violated, intimidated, harassed, arrested or
illegally detained.
The vast majority of these crimes did not concern
international war correspondents but journalists working in
their home countries, often in times of peace, and covering
local stories. The instigators for the most part, remain
unpunished, the UN body said.
The meeting, held on September 13-14, was presided by
India's Raghu Menon, Chairperson of the IPDC.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, UN Under-Secretary
General for Communications and Public Information Kiyo Akasaka
and UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression Frank la Rue
were among top dignitaries who participated the meeting.