Ending Impunity: Acting on UN Standards on the Safety of Journalists

"The silencing of journalists - in particular those uncovering stories of political corruption, abuses by the state or powerful private companies, and reporting on armed conflicts, protests and social movements - deprives the public of their right to know, and undermines the mechanisms of democratic accountability."

Since 2012, United Nations (UN) resolutions have called on all States to address the safety of journalists and break the cycle of impunity through targeted action on three interconnected fronts: prevention, protection, and remedy. Designed for use by States and civil society alike, this guide from ARTICLE 19 breaks down the commitments contained in these resolutions, as well as the international human rights and humanitarian law underpinning them.

The guide provides background on the issue of journalists' safety, noting that, for journalists and media workers from marginalised groups, who experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, the risks are particularly high. The resource examines UN standards on the safety of journalists, outlines 10 UN resolutions on the safety of journalists, and maps state support for the safety of journalists.

Having established a groundwork, the guide outlines the concrete actions that governments can take to tackle the threats preventing journalists and media workers from carrying out their work, including recommendations to further strengthen the UN's institutional response. ARTICLE 19 here shines a particular spotlight on why a gender-responsive approach to addressing the safety of journalists is crucial and unpacks what such an approach requires, across all three pillars of prevention, protection, and remedy.

The guide further sets out how UN human rights mechanisms should be used by civil society to hold States to account against these commitments, leveraging opportunities for shadow reporting, seeking remedies for human rights violations and abuses through UN mechanisms, and advocating for effective implementation. "A crucial element in holding all States to account for the implementation of their commitments on the safety of journalists, is ensuring information about these commitments is proactively disseminated to national stakeholders, including civil society and the media."