Strengthening regional cooperation to end impunity for crimes and attacks against journalists in the Arab world

2017

The 2017 IDEI main event was organized in Colombo, Sri Lanka, by UNESCO and the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media, with the participation of various regional stakeholders including ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission of Human Rights (AICHR) and Human Rights Commissions’ representatives. The one-day seminar entitled “Reinforcing regional cooperation to promote freedom of expression and the rule of law in Asia through ending impunity for crimes against journalists” was seek to advance dialogues and strategies to strengthen the regional cooperation on safety of journalists and ending impunity in Asia. The event focussed on the role of the judiciary, National Human Rights Commissions as well as on the role of civil society and media in the persisting challenge of combatting impunity for crimes against journalists in the region. Through encouraging the exchange of best practices and identifying steps ahead and concrete solutions, the event aims to strengthen the fight of impunity for crimes against journalists in Asia and inscribe this issue in the larger framework to protect fundamental human rights.

For more information on the event, please visit the dedicated page (EN).

2016

UNESCO and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights organized an inter-regional dialogue to foster discussion among African judges on international standards on safety of journalists and ending impunity. The seminar, entitled “Strengthening Judiciary Systems and African Courts to protect Safety of Journalists and End Impunity”, was held on 10 September, in preparation of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI) on 2 November. It specifically aimed to build cooperation strategies with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant players in this field, in order to raise awareness and share good practices among key actors of these issues.

For more information on the seminar, please visit the dedicated page (EN), and read the Report on the seminar (EN).

2015

UNESCO organized the commemoration conference on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, in partnership with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights from 9 to 10 October 2015, in preparation of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI) on 2 November. UNESCO also convened events in Paris, London, New York and elsewhere, on Monday, 2 November 2015, to mark the IDEI. The events served as an occasion to launch, in various locations, the UNESCO report, World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development – Special Digital Focus 2015, which contains the Organization’s most recent information on the safety of journalists and impunity.

For more information on the commemoration conference in Costa Rica please read the background paper (EN, ES) and the Conference Report (EN).

2014

The Seminar and Inter-regional dialogue on the protection of journalists took place on Monday 3 November in the building of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. It was organized jointly by the Council of Europe, UNESCO, the Centre for Freedom of the Media of the University of Sheffield, and the European Lawyers Union. The seminar was opened by Guido Raimondi, the Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, who noted that the court had developed important principles for the protection of journalists under threat; those included the fundamental principle of the positive obligations of states to protect journalists in danger.