A/HRC/RES/33/2
5.
Calls upon States to create and maintain, in law and in practice, a safe and
enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without
undue interference, including by means of (a) legislative measures; (b) supporting the
judiciary in considering training and awareness-raising and supporting training and
awareness-raising among law enforcement officers and military personnel, as well as
among journalists and civil society, regarding international human rights and humanitarian
law obligations and commitments relating to the safety of journalists; (c) the regular
monitoring and reporting of attacks against journalists; (d) publicly, unequivocally and
systematically condemning violence and attacks; and (e) dedicating the resources necessary
to investigate and prosecute such attacks;
6.
Also calls upon States to develop and implement strategies for combating
impunity for attacks and violence against journalists, including by using, where appropriate,
good practices such as those identified during the panel discussion held on 11 June 2014
and/or compiled in the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights,4 inter alia:
(a)
The creation of special investigative units or independent commissions;
(b)
The appointment of a specialized prosecutor;
(c)
The adoption of specific protocols and methods of investigation and
prosecution;
(d)
The training of prosecutors and the judiciary on the safety of journalists;
(e)
The establishment of information-gathering mechanisms, such as databases,
to permit the gathering of verified information about threats and attacks against journalists;
(f)
The establishment of an early warning and rapid response mechanism to give
journalists, when threatened, immediate access to the authorities and protective measures;
7.
Further calls upon States to implement more effectively the applicable legal
framework for the protection of journalists and media workers in order to combat pervasive
impunity, including through enforcement mechanisms with the capacity to pay systematic
attention to their safety;
8.
Urges States to bring their laws, policies and practices fully into compliance
with their obligations and commitments under international human rights law, and to
review and, where necessary, amend them so that they do not limit the ability of journalists
and media workers to perform their work independently and without undue interference;
9.
Urges the immediate and unconditional release of journalists and media
workers who have been arbitrarily arrested or arbitrarily detained, taken hostage or who
have become victims of enforced disappearances;
10.
Calls upon all States to pay particular attention to the safety of journalists
during periods of elections and while covering events in which persons are exercising their
rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, taking into account their specific
role, exposure and vulnerability;
11.
Calls upon States to ensure that measures to combat terrorism and preserve
national security or public order are in compliance with their obligations under international
law and do not arbitrarily or unduly hinder the work and safety of journalists, including
through arbitrary arrest or detention, or the threat thereof;
12.
Also calls upon States to protect in law and in practice the confidentiality of
journalists’ sources, in acknowledgement of the essential role of journalists in fostering
government accountability and an inclusive and peaceful society, subject only to limited
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