In November 2022, representatives of U.N. member states convened in Vienna to publicly reaffirm their commitments to protect journalists’ safety and pledged to take concrete steps to tackle impunity for crimes against the press. The meeting marked the 10-year anniversary of the U.N. Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity – an agreement made by states, at the urging of civil society, to develop a coordinated framework for addressing threats faced by journalists.
But in 2024, the journalist safety crisis has only deepened further. Journalists continue to be killed for their work and are putting their lives on the line to cover conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and elsewhere. Attacks and threats against the press are on the rise across the world. Impunity – a lead driver of violence – remains unacceptably high.
Action by states to ensure the safety of journalists is urgently needed in light of the unprecedented and unacceptable dangers and risks faced by journalists covering the Israel-Gaza War. According to figures from the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), at least 105 journalists and media workers have been killed since the start of the war, with others injured or missing. This figure represents the highest documented death toll for journalists in this short span of time in any modern war or armed conflict on record. The vast majority of those killed are Palestinian journalists killed in airstrikes by the Israeli military.
At the 55th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, IPI is bringing together civil society and experts from the media freedom community to discuss ongoing threats to journalists’ safety, particularly in conflict zones. We will focus on states’ obligations to ensure journalists can report freely and safely – in times of peace and in times of war – and what can be done to ensure governments meet these commitments.
Speakers:
Opening remarks: Christoph Wieland, Deputy Permanent Representative for Austria to the United Nations Office in Geneva
Moderator: Frane Maroević, Executive Director, International Press Institute (IPI)
- Irene Khan (online), UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Nompilo Simanje, Africa Advocacy and Partnerships Lead, International Press Institute (IPI)
- Fiona O’Brien, UK Bureau Director, Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
- David Diaz-Jogeix, Senior Director of Programmes, Article 19
- Sami Alhaj, Director, Center for Public Liberties and Human Rights, Al Jazeera
- Gypsy Guillén Kaiser (online), Advocacy and Communications Director, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
Closing remarks: Rita French, UK Global Ambassador for Human Rights and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva