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UN Human Rights Council Resolution on Safety of Journalists welcomes the Windhoek+30 Declaration
On Thursday 6 October 2022, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a new resolution on the “Safety of Journalists”. The resolution welcomes the work of UNESCO for the Safety of journalists and specially the Windhoek+30 Declaration which had been endorsed with unanimity by the 41st UNESCO General Conference.
The new UN HRC resolution urges States to do their utmost to prevent violence, intimidation, threats, and attacks against journalists and media workers. The resolution is based on previous resolutions on the same topic but added new elements. It took note with appreciation of the biannual report of the Director General UNESCO on the safety of journalists and the danger of impunity.
The text of the resolution invites “States, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and all other relevant stakeholders to take the opportunity of the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity to strengthen the implementation of the Plan of Action over the next decade by, inter alia, strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships and coalition-building and by fostering a coherent and comprehensive policy approach that encompasses the three pillars of prevention, protection and prosecution.”
The adoption by the Human Rights Council is an important milestone in the process to create a safer environment for journalists faced with many different threats. It is also of special interest to see the Council acknowledging of the Windhoek+30 Declaration.
The latest version of this resolution is also an acknowledgement of UNESCO’s work on leading the Implementation of the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists in full concertation with the whole of the UN system.
The resolution will moreover support even more the close and growing cooperation between UNESCO and OHCHR, with support from The Netherlands under the Global Drive on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists.
With a special emphasis on the Prevention, Protection and Prosecution, the resolution reinforces the framework of protection and dedicates a new paragraph the crucial role of the judiciary, prosecution services and law enforcement officers in ensuring journalists’ safety, access to justice and effective remedies, in line with UNESCO´s work on this issue.
The resolution was submitted by Austria together with Brazil, France, Greece, Morocco, Qatar and Tunisia and gained strong support from other Member States, with over 70 Member States backing it as co-sponsors which could increase as co-sponsorship is still possible.
The Human Rights Council is now the third global body to acknowledge the Windhoek +30 resolution as it has previously been noted with appreciation by the UN General Assembly and endorsed by the UNESCO General Conference.
