Media Freedom Coalition Executive Group Statement on journalists in conflict situations, delivered at the United Nations Human Rights Council

The following statement was delivered at the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 10 September, as part of Item 2: Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General, September 2024

Mr. President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition.

We thank the High Commissioner for his oral update. 

Media freedom plays a critical role in promoting and protecting human rights. This is especially true in conflict situations, when people’s lives, health and safety depend on objective, accurate and timely information. Journalists and media workers play an indispensable role in informing the world about events occurring in areas of conflict.

Yet, it is during conflict situations that journalists and media workers, on whom people rely for essential and lifesaving information, are under attack the most.

In Sudan, journalists and media workers have been the victims of violence and unjust detentions, and an information blackout is occurring, causing the crisis which has been marked by gross human-rights violations and atrocity crimes to go gravely underreported. The junta in Myanmar continues to crack down violently on journalists, subjecting independent voices to imprisonment and torture. Journalists risk their lives covering the war in Ukraine; most recently, a safety adviser for Reuters was killed and two journalists injured while reporting from Kramatorsk. The conflict in Gaza is the deadliest for journalists on record. Combined with the restricted access for journalists and media workers to Gaza, it is increasingly difficult to verify information on the ground.

We call upon all states to ensure the protection of journalists and media workers covering conflict in accordance with applicable international law. We call for safe access for journalists to conflict situations in order to independently cover events. Finally, we call for all attacks directed against journalists and media workers to be investigated and, as applicable, prosecuted in compliance with national and international law. Impunity must end.

Thank you.