Journalism Safety from a Multilateral Organization Perspective

ABSTRACT

The commentary highlights the analysis of an international organizations’ technocrat in charge of implementing multilateral policy designed to increase the safety of journalists by preventing, protecting, and prosecuting crimes against them. Being UNESCO the leading coordinating UN agency in the implementation of these policies, the lessons learnt from the first decade of the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity are the crosscutting element of this commentary, particularly aiming to suggest areas of research that could further support evidence-based policymaking.

KEYWORDS:

• Safety of journalists
• press freedom‌
• policy making
• rule of law
• cooperation‌
• multilateralism

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This document will be interchangeably referred to in this article as the UN Plan, the UN Plan of Action or the Plan.

2 The 3Ps is an acronym for a three-pronged strategy of Prevention, Protection, and Prosecution, in regard to crimes against journalists. It does not imply a linear approach, but rather a holistic and pragmatic approach that responds to specific historical, political, and cultural contexts.

3 The term “multi-stakeholder” in this context is used to mean various actors and networks with differing mandates, but with a common stake in issues of freedom of expression and safety of journalists.

4 See Declaration of Windhoek on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic Press in Africa (UNESCO 1991): https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000090759?posInSet=3&queryId=b6860cbf-9a7d-4ef4-a464-5237d10d5772

5 These keywords are contained in UNESCO”s founding Constitution in Article I: 2(a). See https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/constitution

6 https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/?Text=&Goal=16&Target=16.10

7 https://en.unesco.org/themes/safety-journalists/basic-texts

8 https://www.un.org/en/content/action-for-human-rights/index.shtml#:~:text=The%20Call%20to%20Action%20is,%2C%20safe%2C%20and%20peaceful%20societies.

9 https://en.unesco.org/news/united-nations-congress-crime-prevention-and-criminal-justice-commits-end-impunity-crimes

10 https://en.unesco.org/news/general-assembly-special-session-corruption-commits-protect-journalists-and-fundamental-right

11 https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/presidents-unesco-general-conference-un-general-assembly-and-un-human-rights-council-issue

12 https://www.unesco.org/en/communication-information/safety-journalists/universal-periodical-review#:~:text=The%20Universal%20Periodic%20Review%20is,as%20on%20access%20to%20information.

13 https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/ahrc5029-reinforcing-media-freedom-and-safety-journalists-digital-age

14 https://en.unesco.org/themes/safety-journalists/observatory

15 https://fom.coe.int/en/accueil

16 https://safetyofjournalistsinafrica.africa/

17 https://en.unesco.org/themes/fostering-freedom-expression/mdp#:~:text=The%20Multi%2DDonor%20Programme%20on,mandate%20on%20freedom%20of%20expression.

18 https://en.unesco.org/global-media-defence-fund

19 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/notice?id=p%3A%3Ausmarcdef_0000373573&posInSet=1&queryId=2eebe3d1-695a-45b1-a2fc-9d3992acfe24

20 https://en.unesco.org/covid19/disinfodemic

21 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375061?posInSet=17&queryId=4e60a24d-9adc-40c7-981f-03325da8e15d

22 https://en.unesco.org/publications/thechilling

23 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374206?posInSet=2&queryId=0efeac0c-7f0d-43b3-8463-708b9f8fd64a

24 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000378300?posInSet=1&queryId=dc8b3cfb-2302-4872-9e2a-d4a10fc9d016

25 https://impact.economist.com/perspectives/technology-innovation/breaking-news-economic-impact-covid-19-global-news-media-industry?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social-organic&utm_campaign=breaking-news-economic-impact-covid-19-global-news-media-industry&utm_id=&utm_content=

26 https://www.unesco.org/en/world-media-trends

27 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374208?posInSet=5&queryId=6356bbd6-59ec-4801-8d3d-3e05e51b5adf

28 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000375138?posInSet=1&queryId=706ec3e8-036f-4836-934c-97a402ad884b

29 https://journalismcourses.org/coursecat/journalism-in-a-pandemic/

30 https://journalismcourses.org/course/como-informar-de-manera-segura/

31 https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-and-thomson-reuters-foundation-launched-practical-guides-safety-women-journalists

32 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377231

33 https://www.unesco.org/en/legal-affairs/constitution