A/HRC/39/23 Rapporteur has trained judges and journalists on the protection of free expression by the inter-American human rights system. 60 Civil society organizations deliver training on prevention. The Securing Access to Freedom of Expression Initiative has provided digital and physical security training sessions, and psychosocial care, to over 1,500 media practitioners and social communicators in Central America, Eastern Europe, East Africa, Asia and the Middle East. 61 The Community of Democracies’ Working Group on Promoting the Freedom of Opinion and Expression created, with the Committee to Protect Journalists, a toolkit on the safety of journalists for the personnel of diplomatic missions 62 to assist diplomats in dealing with journalists facing safety issues. 27. Public campaigns enhance the protection of journalists through raising awareness about the critical role that they play in democratic societies, the impact of attacks on journalists on their ability to carry out this role and ways to ensure their safety. Civil society actors, such as Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Article 19, often launch global and regional public petitions/campaigns to pressure political leaders to protect journalists, for example, Free Press Unlimited’s 63 online petition 64 calling for lawmakers to provide an enabling environment for journalists and for accountability for crimes against journalists.65 28. Practical protection mechanisms offer tools and resources to protect journalists. These are specific steps that can be taken to improve the situation and offer immediate or mid-term support to protect journalists at risk. The Shelter City Initiative, organized by Justice and Peace Netherlands, offers temporary respite to human rights defenders, including journalists, allowing them opportunities to recover in a safe space and widen their contact networks, before returning to their work.66 The initiative comprises 11 Dutch cities and cities in Georgia, Tanzania and Costa Rica. 29. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offers protection for journalists in situations of armed conflict. Its hotline enables journalists, their families or employers to report cases of journalists who have been arrested, captured, detained, reported missing, wounded or killed. 67 The four-year action plan of ICRC for the implementation of international humanitarian law contains an objective 3 on enhanced protection of journalists and the role of the media with regard to international humanitarian law. The 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent received a progress report68 on the steps taken by States, national societies and ICRC to ensure the protection of journalists, and media equipment and installations. These included integrating the protection of journalists into the international humanitarian law training provided to different militaries, and providing training for journalists in conflict zones. 30. Other hotlines are open to all journalists, and some focus on the safety of women journalists. The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom has a facility for women media workers to inform the centre’s staff about attacks against them confidentially, through encrypted messaging. 69 Other platforms for reporting violence against women journalists were highlighted in the Secretary-General’s 2017 report (see A/72/290, para. 60). 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 Contribution of the United States. See www.irex.org/project/safe-securing-access-free-expression. See www.community-democracies.org/global-activities/convening/working-groups/working-groupon-promoting-freedom-of-opinion-and-expression. See also the contribution of the United States. See also the contribution from the Netherlands. See www.freepressunlimited.org/en/manifesto-protect-journalists. See www.freepressunlimited.org/en/end-impunity-protect-journalists. See www.justiceandpeace.nl. See also the contribution of the Netherlands. See www.icrc.org/en/document/protection-journalists-icrc-hotline-faq. See http://rcrcconference.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/32IC-Progress-report-4-year-action-planon-IHL_EN.pdf, pp. 15–17. See https://ecpmf.eu/get-help/womens-reporting-point. 9