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Commemorating IDEI 2024: Protecting Journalists in Crises and Emergencies
The Global Commemoration of this day will take place at the African Union (AU) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, hosted by the AU and co-organized by UNESCO and the AU. The event will take place from 6-7 November under the theme of Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies.
UNESCO and the AU will also co-organize a 鈥淒ay of Action鈥 on 7 November to allow stakeholders and participants to organize and attend different types of activities. These activities will be action-oriented initiatives, such as the launch of reports and projects, a chance to hold strategic partnership meetings, training, workshops, and exhibitions, discussing continental, regional, and subregional action plans, and conducting information sessions.
This event will commemorate the 10th anniversary of the first IDEI, held in 2014 at the European Court of Human Rights, after the landmark establishment of the 2 November as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI) by the UN General Assembly in .
This event will also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the mandate of the of the African Commission on Human and Peoples鈥 Rights in 2004, whose role is pivotal in safeguarding the freedom of expression and safety of journalists in Africa.
The UNESCO Kabul office contributed to this year鈥檚 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists by displaying banners in multiple languages and increasing social media visibility, reaffirming its commitment to journalists, media organizations, and the public.
Significance of the Day
The UN General Assembly Resolution in 2013, proclaimed 2 November as IDEI, a date which commemorates the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013.
Between 2006 and 2024, more than 1,700 journalists have been killed around the world, with close to 9 out of 10 cases of these killings remaining judicially unresolved, according to the UNESCO Observatory of Killed Journalists.
Impunity for lethal and non-lethal attacks against journalists perpetuates a cycle of violence, which is a key indicator in ensuring public access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms. IDEI is an occasion to commemorate the memory of killed journalists, highlight the risks that journalists take to do their job, call for accountability for crimes committed against then, and reaffirm commitment to the protection and safety of journalists in the course of doing their work.
Every IDEI, UNESCO calls on governments, civil society, the media, and everyone concerned to uphold the rule of law, and to join in the global effort to raise awareness on the need to end impunity for crimes against journalists.
New Data: UNESCO research reveals sharp increase in the use of financial laws to silence journalists
According to UNESCO-supported research, an alarming increase in instances of allegations of financial wrongdoing, designed to pressure, intimate and silence independent journalists and media outlets in the last three years. Of 120 cases reviewed by UNESCO dating from 2005-2024, 60% occurred between 2019-2023.
UNESCO鈥檚 Support to Journalists in Crises and Emergencies
Conflict-induced crises and the resultant humanitarian emergencies are increasing worldwide, not least in places like the Horn of Africa, the Sahel region, Europe, and the Middle East. Climate disasters are also increasing in frequency and impact.
The impact of crises and emergencies on the free flow of information cannot be underestimated. 91麻豆国产精品自拍 warned of the creation of 鈥zones of silence鈥 in several ongoing conflicts due to the increase in conflict-related safety concerns of journalists and media organizations, impinging on their ability to engage in accurate and public-interest reporting.
Women Journalists in Crises and Emergencies
UNESCO is committed to the safety of women journalists, working with partners to identify and implement effective measures and sharing recommendations to all parties concerned by this topic. Women journalists face increasing numbers of attacks, verbal, physical, offline and online, attacks of a gender-specific nature, such as sexist hate speech, trolling, sexual assault and rape, and murder.
IDEI 2024 will provide an important platform for regional stakeholders to discuss the safety of women journalists in crisis contexts, especially against the background of the , in the lead-up to the in 2025, and given that Gender Equality is one of UNESCO鈥檚 global priorities, along with Africa. Furthermore, these initiatives are in line with the .
