The members of the International Press Institute (IPI), meeting at their 60th Annual General Assembly during the IPI World Congress on 26 September 2011 in Taipei, Taiwan, adopted by unanimous vote a resolution calling on the government to end violence against journalists and lack of prosecution of the killers in Mexico.

Mexico has become the deadliest country in the world for journalists, according to IPI’s Death Watch. The country was the second deadliest in the world in 2010, with 12 journalists killed, and dozens more have died since the beginning of 2000. Many of these crimes remain unsolved and violence has spiralled since 2006 as the country finds itself caught in a war between the government and organized crime and drug trafficking. The lethal problem shows no signs of abating and attacks, no longer limited to trafficking strongholds, are spreading across the country. The violence has a huge impact on Mexico’s partnership with its neighbours and the resulting self-censorship by Mexican journalists harms both media freedom and the public’s right to be informed about what is occurring in their country.

The IPI members, while appreciative of the complex and difficult situation in the country, resolved that the government of Mexico – a democratic state ostensibly ruled by law – has an obligation to ensure that journalists are allowed to work in safety while covering sensitive topics, including the ongoing conflict between the government and organized crime and drug traffickers. The members also resolved that the government has the responsibility to ensure that journalists are not killed with impunity.

The IPI members called on the government of Mexico, at both the state and national level, to end all forms of harassment of, and violence against, journalists, and to ensure that the perpetrators of harassment or violence are brought to justice. The IPI members called on the leaders and membership of organised criminal groups and on drug traffickers to stop killing journalists.