PURPOSE: The United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/68/163 at its 68th session in 2013, which proclaimed the 2 November as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI). Since then, global commemorations of IDEI serve as a unique opportunity to highlight the threats against journalists and reporters. Such actors, including UN agencies, regional bodies, U.N. Member States, members of the judiciary system, civil society organisations and the media, play a vital role to ensure accountability and bring to justice perpetrators of crimes against journalists and media workers.
FORUM: “Violence against journalists, the integrity of elections, and the role of public leadership.’’ International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists 2023. The 2023 obervance seeks to raise awareness and sensitize public opinion and the international community on the main challenges faced by journalists and communicators in the exercise of their profession, and on the escalation of violence and repression against them, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean, which to date is the region with the largest number of fatal attacks against journalists. It also seeks to highlight and warn about attacks and restrictions on the press in the context of coverage of social protests, the activation of judicial mechanisms against journalists for reasons related to their journalistic work on matters of public interest; and the forced exile, which is increasingly one of the main options for dealing with repression in some countries in the region. These facts, as already mentioned, are inserted in a context of constant stigmatization and discrediting by public officials and leaders towards the press, so it is also intended to reflect on the role of these people, based on their public discourse and specific obligations. This edition of IDEI also wants to emphasize the situation of violence against journalists and media workers during election periods. In this sense, it seeks to reaffirm the commitments of the States and the responsibilities of the other actors involved to prevent and counteract the intolerance, discrimination and deliberate disinformation that permeates much of the debate in these contexts. The objective is to give visibility to the role of a safe and free press in ensuring the integrity of elections and our democratic systems. Finally, the sessions will delve into the obligation of States to adopt effective measures to protect the independent press and strengthen institutional frameworks that combat violence and impunity, and promote media independence, sustainability and diversity. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #EndimpunityDay, #CrimesAgainstJournalists, #2november, #DefendPressFreedom, #ProtectJournalists.
EVENTS: This year, the main commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists 2023 will take place on 2 -3 November at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington D.C. Organized by UNESCO, in partnership with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression (RELE), the event will focus on the violence against journalists, the integrity of elections, and the role of public leadership. This important event will include multiple panels and discussions, bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders including former special rapporteurs, academia, civil society organizations, states, United Nations agencies, and any other individuals dedicated to improving journalist safety worldwide. The day will furthermore commemorate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the OAS Special Rapporteurship and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Special Procedure, two specialized offices that hold a pivotal role in promoting and safeguarding freedom of expression globally.
From 08:00 - 09:00, Registration at the Organization of American States (OAS) Hall of the Americas.
DAY I (2 November) - Opening ceremony - International Day to end Impunity Against Journalists 2023.
Session 1: Safety of journalists in elections and crisis contexts: risks to democracies.
Session 2: Flash talk - Combating impunity: obligations of the States and the role of public officials in building trust in the media.
Session 3: Making Impunity Visible: Initiatives towards preservation of cases and memory of killed journalists.
Session 4: Multi-stakeholder session: The future of the media and safety of journalists
Symbolic event to be held at the Art Museum of the Americas
Day II (3 November) - Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression
Session 1: Online Violence and discrimination: journalists as a target and the role of journalism in combating online violence and discrimination
Session 2: Building safe spaces for journalism in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Session 3: Strategic lawsuits against public participation: a mechanism for silencing the press under the guise of legality.
Session 4: Death, Exile and Incarceration.
Session 5: 25 years of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Challenges and prospects.
Read more in the concept note.
STATEMENTS: Read the Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists 2023; November 2nd and the UNESCO Director-General's Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity.
PODCASTS: This will also be an occasion to raise high on the agenda, the issue of the safety of journalists during elections, which will be especially important as 81 countries are about to vote in national and regional elections, including in some of the world’s largest democracies. All in all, around 2,6 billion people will be eligible to vote in elections during 2024. Listen to the audio podcast!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: The IDEI commemoration is therefore a call to honor the courage and commitment of journalists killed in the exercise of their profession; and to reaffirm the importance and urgency for States and other stakeholders, to deploy their maximum efforts to generate an environment free of violence for the press, as well as the necessary conditions for them to carry out their work freely, independently and safely. Join the campaign to ‘‘End Violence against journalists, ensure the integrity of elections, and to enhance the role of public leadership.“ Get the communication materials!
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It is in recognition of the far-reaching consequences of impunity, especially of crimes against journalists, that the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/68/163 at its 68th session in 2013 which proclaimed November 2nd as the ‘International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ (IDEI). The Resolution urged Member States to implement definite measures countering the present culture of impunity. The date was chosen in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on 2 November 2013.
Impunity leads to more killings and is often a symptom of worsening conflict and the breakdown of law and judicial systems. UNESCO is concerned that impunity damages whole societies by covering up serious human rights abuses, corruption, and crime. Governments, civil society, the media, and everyone concerned to uphold the rule of law are being asked to join in the global efforts to end impunity.
Honour the 1,200 journalists have been killed around the world between 2006 and 2020, over.
Highlight the to 9 out of 10 cases of these killings which remain judicially unresolved, according to the UNESCO observatory of killed journalists.
The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists’ is held by the United Nations Security Council, the UNESCO regional offices, the Office of the high commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship, the The Committee to Protect Journalists, the Amnesty International; Human Rights Watch (HRW); With the participation of the Civil Society Organization, Non-Governmental Organizations, Journalits, editors, Reporters and academia.