VISHWA BHARATI PUBLIC SCHOOL, NOIDA

VBPSN MUN 2.0

BACKGROUND GUIDE FOR

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS

COUNCIL

AGENDA: Deliberation upon persecution

of journalists and independant media
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Greetings Delegates,

As a part of the Executive Board, it is our responsibility to facilitate your educational

experience at the simulation of the UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL at VISHWA
BHARTI MODEL UNITED NATIONS 2023. We would like to thank the organizers of VBPSN
MUN’23 for the constant encouragement that their platform provides. It is by attending
such simulations that one understands the thought process that goes into making a decision
that has varying effects on every aspect of life of the citizen of a nation.
We hope that by now your research is well on its way and you have formulated an idea
about what, how, why, and when you want to discuss something. These questions form the
very basis of the flow of debate and argumentation in the committee. This background
guide will give you an overview of the topic at hand and the work of the Committee. It
contains some basic elements on the topic that will guide your research. However, such
mentions do not limit the scope of discussion in the committee at all.
We expect from all delegates an active participation in the proceedings of this committee to
have a fruitful discussion on a pertinent global problem. For that purpose, extensive and
thorough research is expected of you over and beyond this study guide. Think of this study
guide as merely an initiation to your research, defining the broad aspects. A section with the
suggested readings has been added at the end of this document and can be utilized to that
regard apart from the link provided in footnotes.
While representing your country has its own importance, we do hope that you attach
importance to finding creative solution to the complex problems that will be raised during
the course of the two days of this event. There are multiple options that participants are
encouraged to explore within the confines of their foreign policies.
Also, an important point here is that while criticism is encouraged, we expect constructive
criticism in the committee. This will help you approach a problem differently and
understand all perspectives. What needs to be noted here is that opinions are only different,
but never wrong. An opinion is a product of multiple factors that an individual is exposed to
during the course of life and hence needs to be deconstructed and not discarded.
While forming your arguments, take logical premises and not ludicrous ones as an argument
is only as strong as the premise it is based on. Try to communicate your premises, followed
by your arguments and then a conclusion keeping in mind the time limit. This will help you
convey your message effectively.
Finally, and most importantly, I want all participants to focus on their growth and
development. While awards are to recognize effort, they should in no manner be your sole
point of focus. Instead, aim for something much higher, a change in your thought process,
perception, perspective and lastly your personality. An award will get you only so far, but
development of a logical and analytical mindset and being able to convey your opinion with
utmost clarity will help you flower as an individual.

Regards,
Executive Board

Alisha Jaiswal – Chairperson Maurya Chopra - Vice Chairperson

Email ID - [email protected] Email ID - [email protected]

Manan pant – Rapporteur

Email ID – [email protected]
 PROOF / EVIDENCE IN THE COUNCIL
While researching for the committee, keep in mind the credibility of the source you are
using. You can use all the sources for gaining information and studying different angles/
viewpoints, but non-credible sources won't be accepted by the Executive Board as a
proof and supporting document to your argument/ statement.
Evidence/proof is acceptable from the following sources:

1. News Sources:

A. REUTERS - Any Reuters article which clearly makes mention of the fact or is in contradiction
of the fact being stated by a delegate in council. ( http://www.reuters.com/ )

B. STATE OPERATED NEWS AGENCIES - These reports can be used in support of or

against the state that owns that news agency. These reports, if credible or substantial enough,
can be used in support of or against any country as such but in that situation, they can be
denied by any other country in the council. Some examples are : i. RIA Novosti ( Russia )
http://en.rian.ru/ ii. IRNA ( Iran ) http://www.irna.ir/ENIndex.htm iii. Xinhua News Agency and
CCTV (P.R. China ) http://cctvnews.cntv

2. Government Reports :

These reports can be used in a similar way as the state operated news agencies reports can, in
all circumstances, be denied by another country. However, a nuance is that a report that is
being denied by a certain country can still be accepted by the Executive Board as credible
information. Examples are -

i. Government Websites like the State Department of the USA

( http://www.state.gov/index.htm ) or the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
( http://www.eng.mil.ru/en/index.htm )
ii. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of various nations like India ( http://www.mea.gov.in/ ), PRC (
http://fmprc.gov.cn/eng/ ), France
( http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/ ), Russian Federation
( http://www.mid.ru/brp_4.nsf/main_eng )
iii. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Reports
(http://www.un.org/en/members/) ( Click on any country to get to the website of the Office
of its Permanent Representative )
iv. Multilateral Organizations like the NATO
(http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/index.htm), ASEAN ( http://www.aseansec.org/),
OPEC ( http://www.opec.org/opec_web/en/), etc..
 3. UN Reports:
All UN Reports are considered credible information or evidence for the Executive Board of
the Security Council.
i. UN Bodies: Like the SC ( http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/), GA ( http://www.un.org/en/ga/),
HRC ( http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/HRCIndex.aspx), etc..
ii. UN Affiliated Bodies like the International Atomic Energy Agency (
http://www.iaea.org/), World Bank ( http://www.worldbank.org/), International
Monetary Fund ( http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm) , International Committee of
the Red Cross ( http://www.icrc.org/eng.index.jsp), etc..
iii. Treaty Based Bodies like the Antarctic Treaty System ( http://www.ats.aq/e/ats.htm),
The International Criminal Court ( http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC)

Under no Circumstances will sources like Wikipedia ( http://www.wikipedia.org/),

Amnesty International ( http://www.amnesty.org/), Human Rights Watch
( http://www.hrw.org/) or Newspapers like The Guardian
( https://www.guardian.co.uk/), Time of India ( https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/),
etc. be accepted as PROOF but may be used for better understanding of any issue and even
be brought up in debate if the information given in such sources is in line with the beliefs
of a Government

RESEARCH GUIDES FOR BEGINNERS

Research is possibly the most intimidating yet most important part of preparing for any
Model United Nations conference. Without proper preparation, not only are
representatives unable to accurately represent their country’s position in a global scenario
but they also restrict themselves from gaining the most out of the memorable MUN
learning experience. A delegate’s aim at a MUN conference is to most faithfully represent
their country’s stand on a certain issue being debated, and to do this, thorough research is
needed. It goes beyond retelling speeches of national leaders and requires a genuine
understanding of national policy, as only this can provide the basic foundation of role-
playing at the MUN.
Here you will learn methods and tips for researching, understanding your country’s
perspective and policies and writing your position paper using critical information

LEVELS OF RESEARCH
For any Model United Nations conference, your research should focus on a top-down
approach on three levels which goes from the general to the specific, although the areas
will naturally overlap on several occasions. The idea is to research each area thoroughly in
order to develop a proper understanding of your country and the issues that will be
discussed.
 The three levels are :
1. The UN system;
2. Country Information and;
3. The Assisted Agenda

THE UNITED NATIONS SYSTEM

It is interesting that this is an area which is often overlooked when researching for a MUN
conference. MUNs aim to recreate the United Nations and so it is absolutely imperative that
to do so, you know what the UN is, what it does and how it functions. Successful and
proactive participation in the simulation requires a level of understanding of the United
Nations organization itself, regarding structures, functions and protocols.
The more conferences you attend, the less time you will find yourself spending on this aspect,
since the only new research required is if you are going to a committee you’ve never been in
before.
It is important for delegates to familiarize themselves with:
● The UN Charter : https://www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/index.html
● The history of United Nations
● The main bodies and committees of UN
● The functioning of your own committee
● The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
:http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/
● Your country’s history within the UN, its role and reputation. Information on this can be
found on the websites of the permanent mission of the UN to your country.
● Recent UN actions pertaining to your country or the agenda – including statements, press
releases, publications, resolutions etc.
● Although there are countless publications and documents on the United Nations, the best
source to study about the United Nations is the UN itself.

Below are a further collection of useful links:

- www.un.org
- http://www.un.org/en/members/index.shtml
- www.un.org/Pubs/chronicle/online.html
- http://www.icj-cij.org/

- http://treaties.un.org/Home.aspx
 COUNTRY ECONOMY
Build a knowledge base of your country - delegates must be aware of their assigned
country’s historical, geographical, political, economic, social and environmental aspects.
Build a country profile on your government – what systems, ideologies, political parties
and leaders represent your country? What is your country’s foreign policy and how is
this affected by important historical and domestic aspects? Who are your allies and your
adversaries? What other bilateral, regional and international organizations is your
country a part of?
After building a basic profile, you must study your country’s broad stand on global
issues, particularly at the UN. Develop a basic understanding of your country’s voting
pattern, its involvement in the UN – speeches given by leaders and delegates of your
country at the UN and resolutions/treaties it has been a part of.
- http://www.countryreports.org/
- http://www.un.org/esa/national.htm
- http://countrystudies.us/
- www.un.org/popin/data.html
- www.unausa.org
- http://www.un.org/en/members/
- http://www.gksoft.com/govt/en/
You may also wish to visit the national embassy of your country as it is the best source
of information and research for sources that are not as readily available. It is the best
way to get first-hand information on your country and where it stands on various issues.
It could also give you the opportunity to interact with a real diplomat from the country
you’re representing, and pick up tips on how they carry themselves and respond to
questions.

THE ASSISTED AGENDA

This will form the bulk of your research – it will be what is used directly in committee
sessions. You will be informed of the agenda of issues to be discussed at the MUN by your
organizers before the conference.
A thorough study of the tabled topic for debate and discussion with respect to your
country, UN and the world as a whole will aid you to properly represent your country and
actively participate in the simulation. You will be provided a study guide for your assigned
agenda by your MUN committee, which you should use as your starting point.
 Within your agenda topic, the three areas that must be covered are:
a) A background and overview of the agenda topic and your country’s policy on it
b) Detailed information on important aspects of the topic
c) Broad information on where other main countries and blocs stand

BACKGROUND
After the background guide, news articles relating to your topic can be a good place to
find a brief overview of the most recent developments. While only verified news agencies
such as Reuters and Al Jazeera are accepted in committee, news and op-ed articles can
provide an entry point into deeper issues. However, you must be careful to look for
writers’ biases on the Internet in particular.
The next step is to look for resolutions and treaties that are relevant to the topic – the
most recent resolution from the UN Documentation Centre should refer to the documents
most central to your agenda.
You must then look into your country’s voting history on the matter, for indications on
action, inaction, presence and absence, looking for changing policies and exploring their
causal factors. Statements explaining votes can be found in records on the UN website

DETAILS
Once your background research is done, you need to dive deep into the topic to understand
the primary aspects, and try to logically ‘frame’ the agenda into main sub-headings of sorts,
under which all the important points can be organized. This can help you break down complex
agendas into neatly manageable chunks, and score brownie points if your frame is accepted
by the committee. It’s important to make a clear distinction between facts, arguments based
on those facts and opinions, particularly when reading on the Internet.
At this stage, sometimes as you’re framing the problems, you’re also coming up with
innovative solutions to put in the proposal. Looking up implementation of past resolutions is
a helpful starting point, but op-eds, blog posts, local and international NGO reports, think
tank papers and academic papers will likely be more useful in shaping your ideas. Remember
to focus on solutions that are politically, economically and sustainably feasible
 OTHER ARGUMENTS
One of the most important lessons from MUNs is learning to accommodate difference – it
is important to be aware of the arguments and facts used by those holding the opposite
stand to yours. While as a delegate you are bound to espouse the views of your country,
individually your opinions can be shaped through the push and pull of opposing ideas.
Also, this research will help you logically counter the arguments put forth by radically
opposed delegations, and bring the committee around to your point of view.
In some conferences, delegates research countries other than their own in order to
surprise other delegates with allegations and throw them on the back foot. Needless to
say, this is not only undiplomatic but also entirely counter-productive to the cooperative
purpose of the conference. While it is important to be aware of the policies of other
countries, antagonistic behavior can only harm the atmosphere of the committee and
hamper consensus-building, and thus is discouraged
The most important part of research is being able to synthesize the data you’ve found in
an organized way and identify the key pieces of information, including facts and figures,
which you can use to illustrate and defend your position. If your country plays a central
role in the agenda topic, it becomes all the more important to be able to explain your
actions. Finally, all your research comes down to being able to justify your position,
explain your ideas and convince the other delegates that these are the most valuable
approaches to solving the problem.

MANDATE OF UNITED NATIONS HUMAN

RIGHTS COUNCIL
The Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations1, through
which States discuss human rights conditions in the UN Member States2. The Human Rights
Council was established in 2006 by Resolution 60/2513 as a subsidiary body to the UN General
Assembly. It replaced the former Commission on Human Rights, which operated from 1946 to
2006.
The Council’s mandate is to promote “universal respect for the protection of all human rights
and fundamental freedoms for all” and “address situations of violations of human rights,
including gross and systematic violations, and make recommendations thereon.”
The Human Rights Council has created or renewed the mandates of various “special
procedures.” The special procedures are experts appointed to monitor human rights around
priority themes or in specific countries with serious human rights problems. The special
procedures may be individual experts (“special rapporteurs” or “independent experts”) or
working groups
 General Assembly Resolution 60/251 explicitly acknowledges that “non-governmental
organizations play an important role at the national, regional and international levels,
in the promotion and protection of human rights” and further determines that the
Council should work “in close cooperation in the field of human rights with
Governments, regional organizations, national human rights institutions and civil
society.”
1. https://www.un.org/en/about-un/
2. https://www.un.org/en/member-states/
3. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/60/251

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN

RIGHTS
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of
human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from
all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General
Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A5) as a common
standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time,
fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over
500 languages. It extends to a length of 30 Articles.
The Universal Declaration begins by recognizing that ‘the inherent dignity of all members of
the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace of the world.’ It declares
that human rights are universal- to be enjoyed by all people, no matter who they are or
where they live.
The Universal Declaration includes civil and political rights, like the right to life, free speech
and privacy. It also includes economic, social and cultural rights, like the rights of social
security, health and education. It is an expression of the fundamental values shared by all
members of the international community. And it has profound influence on the development
of international human rights laws.
It provides a guide to present action and an evolving set of ideas for future implementation
at the national level. Increasingly, the UDHR’s principles have been embodied in what states
do and it serves as the foundation for the International Bill of Rights and several other crucial
human rights agreements. And, not least, the UDHR has proven a remarkably flexible
foundation for a continued broadening and deepening of the very concept of human rights.
How many treaties can claim such honors?
 IMPORTANT TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
What follows is a by-no-means inclusive list of vocabulary. These are just few terms for
better understanding of the agenda in hand.
● GAY AND LESBIAN: It’s important to start with the basics, and “gay” and “lesbian” are as
basic as it gets. As “homosexual” began to feel clinical and pejorative, gay became the de
rigueur mainstream term to refer to same-sex attraction in the late 1960s and early ’70s.
Gradually, as what was then called the gay liberation movement gained steam, the phrase
“gay and lesbian” became more popular as a way to highlight the similar-yet-separate
issues faced by women in the fight for tolerance. Gay is still sometimes used as an
umbrella term, but these days, it also refers specifically to men, as in “gay men and
lesbians.”
● BISEXUAL: Someone who is attracted to people of their gender or other gender
identities. It is not a way station from straight to gay, as it had once been described.The
stereotypes around bisexuality — that it’s a transitional stage or a cover for promiscuity —
have been at the center of fraught conversation within L.G.B.T.Q. circles for years. As
advocates speak out more about what they see as “bisexual erasure” — the persistent
questioning or negation of bisexual identity — the term has become resurgent. But some
people also argue that the prefix “bi” reinforces a male/female gender binary that isn’t
inclusive enough
● PANSEXUAL: Someone who is attracted to people of all gender identities. Or someone who
is attracted to a person’s qualities regardless of their gender identity. (The prefix “pan”
means “all,” rejecting the gender binary that some argue is implied by “bisexual.”) Once a
more niche term used by academics, pansexual has entered the mainstream, pushed in part
by celebrities bringing it visibility. The singer Miley Cyrus identified as pansexual in 2015. In
April, after the singer Janelle Monàe came out as pansexual in a “Rolling Stone” article,
searches for the word on Merriam-Webster’s website rose 11,000 percent, according to the
dictionary.
● ASEXUAL Or “ace.”: Someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction. They are not
to be confused with “aromantic people,” who experience little or no romantic attraction.
Asexual people do not always identify as aromantic; aromantic people do not always identify
as asexual. More generally, some people (asexual or otherwise) identify as having a romantic
orientation different from their sexual orientation. The terminology is similar:
homoromantic, heteroromantic, biromantic and so on
● DEMISEXUAL: Someone who generally does not experience sexual attraction unless they
have formed a strong emotional, but not necessarily romantic, connection with someone.
● GRAY-SEXUAL: Someone who occasionally experiences sexual attraction but usually does
not; it covers a kind of gray space between asexuality and sexual identity.
● CISGENDER: Someone whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.
● TRANSGENDER: A wide-ranging term for people whose gender identity or gender
expression differs from the biological sex they were assigned at birth. ● TRANSGENDERED:
Not a word. Often used as one.
● TRANS* OR TRANS+ : Two umbrella terms for non-cisgender identities.
 ● GENDER NONCONFORMING, OR G.N.C. :One who expresses gender outside
traditional norms associated with masculinity or femininity. Not all gender-nonconforming
people are transgender, and some transgender people express gender in conventionally
masculine or feminine ways.
● NONBINARY: A person who identifies as neither male nor female and sees themselves
outside the gender binary. This is sometimes shortened to N.B. or enby. One notable
example: Taylor Mason, a financial analyst on the show “Billions,” who is believed to be
the first gender nonbinary character on television and is played by the nonbinary actor
Asia Kate Dillon.
● GENDERQUEER: Another term often used to describe someone whose gender identity is
outside the strict male/female binary. They may exhibit both traditionally masculine and
feminine qualities or neither.
● GENDER FLUID: A term used by people whose identity shifts or fluctuates. Sometimes
these individuals may identify or express themselves as more masculine on some days,
and more feminine on others
● GENDER-NEUTRAL: Someone who prefers not to be described by a specific gender, but
prefers “they” as a singular pronoun (the American Dialect Society’s 2015 Word of the Year)
or the honorific “Mx.,” a substitute for “Mr.” or “Ms.” that entered the Oxford English
Dictionary in 2015.
● M.A.A.B./F.A.A.B./U.A.A.B. : Male-assigned at birth/female-assigned at birth/unassigned
at birth
● INTERSEX: A term for someone born with biological sex characteristics that aren’t
traditionally associated with male or female bodies. Inter-sexuality does not refer to sexual
orientation or gender identity
● ‘+’ : Not just a mathematical symbol anymore, but a denotation of everything on the
gender and sexuality spectrum that letters and words can’t yet describe.

ABOUT THE AGENDA

In 2014, the Committee to Protect Journalists found that at least 221 journalists were jailed
worldwide, compared to 81 in 2000. Harassment, editorial control, and physical threats are
increasingly common as well. Threats can be as simple as verbal attacks, the most common
form of intimidation in much of the world. More explicitly physical threats by targets of
journalism, their sympathizers, organized crime, or extremists are a growing problem too.
Governments can be part of the problem. Journalists are increasingly threatened across the
globe by both their governments and non-state actors. Intimidation and imprisonment are
the most effective forms of abuse against journalists.
 In June 2016, three Al Jazeera journalists were sentenced to serve between seven and ten
years in prison on charges of smearing Egypts reputation and helping the Muslim
Brotherhood, labeled by the Egyptian government as a terrorist organization.
In 2014 Saudi Arabia levied ten years in prison and 1,000 lashes on Raif Badawi, a Saudi
activist blogger, for insulting Islam on an online forum.3 Murders and violence against
journalists and media workers are often not investigated leaving the perpetrators
unprosecuted. Numerous journalists have died under Vladmir Putins presidency in Russia,
often without repercussion. Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist, was shot to death
on October 7, 2006, in her apartment building in Moscow. She was writing a book
exposing Putins political corruption and multiple Chechen war crimes committed by the
FSP. To this day, her murder remains unsolved. Non-state actors are also responsible for
the murders of journalists as well. ABC Color reporter Pablo Medina Velazquez and his
assistant were killed after reporting on drug trafficking along Paraguays border. Vilmar
Acosta Margques, mayor of the border town Ypehu, is linked to Medinas death after
threats surfaced that he had threatened Medina in 2010 after writing articles linking the
mayor tococaine trafficking. Mass government surveillance also hinders journalistsability
to report true findings and opinions. In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked classified
information from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), which revealed documents
detailing global surveillance and recordings of phone conversations, email archives, cell-
site locations, metadata, online activity, and GPS tracking. To guarantee the anonymity of
their sources, reporters must now use countermeasures such as encryption tools and
clandestine meetings because anonymity is not guaranteed to their sources.
The situation in the area of the safety of journalists unfortunately is further degrading. By
the end of 2019, the Council of Europes Platform to promote the protection of journalism
and the safety of journalists (the Platform), had registered a total of 652 alerts, with year-
on-year rises in incidents, with the exception of 2017. Overall, nearly half of all alerts were
marked as category 1covering the most severe and damaging violations of media freedom,
such as murder and direct threats to life, physical assaults, the use of violence, prolonged
arbitrary detention or imprisonment, and arbitrary closure of a media outlet, with a total
of 26 journalists killed in Council of Europe member States. The relentless targeting of
journalists and other media actors demonstrates the urgent need for redoubled action for
the prevention, protection, and prosecution of such killings.

UN RESOLUTIONS
On 18 December 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted its first resolution concerning the
safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. The resolution condemns all attacks on
journalists unequivocally, including killings, torture, harassment, and intimidation in both
conflict and non-conflict areas.15 The resolution also urges member states to break the cycle
of violence against journalists by ensuring that all alleged investigations under their
jurisdiction are given fair, speedy, and impartial trials and that the perpetrators of these
attacks are brought to justice. 16 In this resolution, November 2 is declared International Day
to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
 CURRENT SCENARIO
The non-governmental Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without
Borders (RSF) are the biggest advocates that have been pushing the United Nations to
urge its member states to protect press freedom and freedom of expression and opinion.
The CPJ is a non-profit NGO, with headquarters in New York, and is comprised of 40
experts from around the world who report and document hundreds of attacks and
violations in repressive countries, conflict zones, and established democracies.8 RSF is a
non-profit NGO with its headquarters in Paris, France, with the mandated mission to
defend press and online freedom, protect journalistic sources, condemn abuses, and
collect reports and statistics for dissemination. 9 RSF has consultant status with the
United Nations. Neither receives funding from the UN, although support could be
requested by the Human Rights Council Other prominent non-governmental
organizations that work with media freedom issues include:
• Amnesty International
• Article 19
• The Association of European Journalists
• The Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations
• The European Publishers Association
• The Freedom House
• The International Federation of Journalists
• The International Press Institute
• The South East Europe Media Organization

LEGALITY OF THE ISSUE AT HAND

The various member states of the United Nations have the different forms of
governance and their own laws governing journalist safety and ensuring free media.
Surprisingly a few countries also suffer from the lack of the former. As the leading UN
body on human rights, the committee can come up with declarations and resolutions
that can be signed by the member nations with the scope and promise of abiding by
them in the future. The UN through its resolutions brings this uniformity in the world
that is an amalgamation of
different laws and rules of procedure aimed at maintaining a civilized way of life.
 UN PLAN OF ACTION
The UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity is the
result of a process that began in 2010 upon request of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental
Council of the International Programme for the Development of Communication
(IPDC). It was endorsed by the UN Chief Executives Board on 12 April 2012, and has
been welcomed in resolutions of the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, and
UNESCO.

The UN Plan of Action aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and
media workers, both in conflict and non-conflict situations, with a view to
strengthening peace, democracy and development worldwide. The Plan includes
measures such as the establishment of an inter-agency mechanism to strengthen the
contribution of each UN actor and enhance UN-wide coherence; cooperation with
States to develop legislation and other mechanisms for safeguarding the freedom of
expression and information as well as the safety of journalists; and the establishment
of partnerships, awareness-raising and fostering initiatives.

PERSECUTION OF JOURNALISTS:
Ending impunity for crimes against journalists is one of the most pressing issues to
guarantee freedom of expression and access to information for all citizens. Between
2006 and 2020, over 1,200 journalists have been killed for reporting the news and
bringing information to the public. In nine out of ten cases the killers go unpunished,
according to the UNESCO observatory of killed journalists. Impunity leads to more
killings and is often a symptom of worsening conflict and the breakdown of law and
judicial systems.

While killings are the most extreme form of media censorship, journalists are also
subjected to countless threats – ranging from kidnapping, torture and other physical
attacks to harassment, particularly in the digital sphere. Threats of violence and attacks
against journalists, in particular, create a climate of fear for media professionals,
impeding the free circulation of information, opinions and ideas for all citizens. Women
journalists are particularly impacted by threats and attacks, notably by those made
online. According to UNESCO’s discussion paper, The Chilling: Global trends in online
violence against women journalists, 73 percent of the women journalists surveyed said
they had been threatened, intimidated and insulted online in connection with their
work.
 In many cases, threats of violence and attacks against journalists are not properly
investigated. This impunity emboldens the perpetrators of the crimes and at the same
time has a chilling effect on society, including journalists themselves. UNESCO is
concerned that impunity damages whole societies by covering up serious human rights
abuses, corruption, and crime.

INDEPENDENT MEDIA:
Media freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of
empowering people. Empowerment is a multi-dimensional social and political process
that helps people gain control over their own lives. This can only be achieved through
access to accurate, fair and unbiased information, representing a plurality of opinions,
and the means to actively communicate vertically and horizontally, thereby
participating in the active life of the community.

However, in order to make freedom of expression a reality, there must be:

• A legal and regulatory environment that allows for an open and pluralistic media
sector to emerge;

• A political will to support the sector and rule of law to protect it;

• Laws ensuring access to information, especially information in the public domain; and

• The necessary media literacy skills among news consumers to critically analyze and
synthesize the information they receive to use it in their daily lives and to hold the
media accountable for its actions.

These elements, along with media professionals adhering to the highest ethical and
professional standards designed by practitioners, serve as the fundamental infrastructure
on which freedom of expression can prevail. On this basis media serves as a watchdog,
civil society engages with authorities and decision-makers, information flows through and
between communities
 QUESTIONS TO PONDER UPON
• Sexual abuse, assault, threats to women journalists and those who represent minority
groups.

• Problems faced by journalists in communist countries like China(for hong kong) and
Russia(for Ukraine).

• Extreme right wing groups taking over government can cause yellow or saffron
journalism in countries like india and Japan

• IPI condemns recent internet shutdowns and mobile network disruptions in

Mauritania, Guinea, and Senegal

• Role of media in reducing corruption, illiteracy, and other stuff

FURTHER RESEARCH LINKS

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/12/30/rsf-report-nearly-1700-journalists-killed-over-
past-20-years

https://www.ohchr.org/en/safety-of-journalists/resolutions

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-and-media/2019/media-freedom-downward-
spiral

https://apnews.com/article/china-press-censorship-hong-lai-
2caeedd86717ef4667ada868abf67eba

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/03/evan-gershkovich-journalists-
persecuted-world-press-freedom-day

https://cpj.org/data/killed/?
status=Killed&motiveConfirmed%5B%5D=Confirmed&motiveUnconfirmed%5B%5D=Unconfir
med&type%5B%5D=Journalist&type%5B%5D=Media%20Worker&start_year=1992&end_year
=2023&group_by=year

https://gijn.org/2021/07/01/what-governments-can-do-to-preserve-the-press-a-new-deal-for-
journalism/