Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Koïchiro Matsura has called on governments worldwide to declare their categorical condemnation of the killing of journalists, as this represented the ultimate censorship and should not go unpunished.
Addressing the two-day international conference on press freedom of expression at the Jamaica Conference Centre on Friday (May 2), Mr. Matsura stated that being a journalist was probably in some circumstances, one of the most dangerous occupations in the world.
He said that according to various surveys, the number of crimes and acts of violence committed against journalists appeared to be increasing, but even worse was the fact that most of the crimes committed against journalists and other media professionals, went unpunished. "Crimes committed against journalists may be considered censorship, an attempt to silence certain views and to prevent information from being shared. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to journalists, who put themselves at risk, the least we can do as beneficiaries of their works, is to create a climate of opinion in which impunity cannot prevail," Mr. Matsura stated.
The Director General suggested that the best way to combat the problem of impunity was by raising awareness on a national, international, professional, and individual level. He noted that many professional media organisations such as the Inter American Press Association had prioritised this issue and based on efforts such as these, the 29th session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) general conference had unanimously adopted a resolution designed to alert governments and international and regional organisations to the issue of combating the culture of impunity.
This resolution calls upon UNESCO and its member states to take action.
"It's imperative that we marshal the collective effort of the whole international community to combat impunity," Mr. Matsura stressed, calling for "a declaration of war on impunity".
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (PCJ), only 16 per cent of the over 370 journalists who were killed in the last decade, were caught in cross-fire. Most of the victims were direct targets. "It is of the utmost importance that the safety of journalists be a priority for all involved. Media companies and professional organisations must recognise their responsibility towards not only their own staff, but also to freelancers and local journalists working for them," the Director General reasoned.
UNESCO in collaboration with a number of non-governmental organisations, have worked on safety programmes, which have resulted in a practical guide for journalists, providing hands on recommendations and proposed safety measures.
"We should remember and pay homage to the courage and sacrifice of the journalists who have lost their lives while covering wars and conflicts," he said, pointing out that the media journalists who had died in Afghanistan, and Iraq and elsewhere, were only the latest in a long line of journalists who had paid for the citizens' right to receive information.
The conference, under the theme 'Freedom of Expression: Early New Millennium Challenges', explores issues relating to the protection of journalists and the development of their skills as professionals, as well as examine the frameworks and context in which the press and the media in general can enhance good governance, the deepening of democracy and the empowering of societies through access to information.
UNESCO describes World Press Freedom Day as, "a day of action to encourage and develop initiatives in favour of the freedom of the press, day to assess the state of press freedom worldwide, remind governments to respect their commitments to press freedom, alert the public and to increase awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and a day of reflection to encourage debate among media professionals on the issues of press freedom and professional ethics".
World Press Freedom Day, which is observed on May 3 each year, was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1993, as an outgrowth of the Seminar on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press.