A/HRC/44/52 69. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in its targets 5.1 and 5.2 of Sustainable Development Goal 5, places a focus for the first time on the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls in the public and private spheres. Of specific relevance to the safety of journalists is target 16.10 of Goal 16, which aims to ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements. As set out in the global indicator framework for the Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, indicator 16.10.1 of Goal 16 requires quantification of the number of verified cases of killing, kidnapping, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention and torture of journalists, associated media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates. 70. In September 2016, the Human Rights Council unanimously adopted resolution 33/2 on the safety of journalists, in which it unequivocally condemned the specific attacks on women journalists in the exercise of their work, including sexual and gender-based discrimination and violence, intimidation and harassment, online and offline, highlighting the need to address the gender-specific threats faced by women journalists. 71. In 2017, the General Assembly adopted resolution 72/175 on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity, in which it acknowledged the specific risks faced by women journalists in the exercise of their work and underlined the importance of taking a gender-sensitive approach when considering measures to address the safety of journalists, including in the online sphere. In particular, the Assembly emphasized the importance of effectively tackling gender-based discrimination and gender stereotypes in the media, and enabling women to enter and remain in journalism on equal terms with men while ensuring their safety. 72. In its resolution 38/7 on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet, the Human Rights Council echoed its resolution 33/2 in unequivocally condemning online attacks on women, including sexual and gender-based violence and abuse of women, in particular where women journalists, media workers, public officials or others engaging in public debate are targeted, and called for gender-sensitive responses that take into account the particular forms of online discrimination. The Council also called on States to use the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2 November 2018 to launch concrete initiatives to provide better protection for journalists in their countries. 73. On 5 July 2018, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 38/5, in which it addressed discrimination and violence against women in digital contexts, including the impact on their freedom of expression (paras. 10 (g) and 11 (a)). 74. In addition, in 2012 UNESCO developed the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. In line with the Plan of Action, the protection of journalists should not be limited to those formally recognized as journalists, but should cover others, including community media workers and citizen journalists and others who may be using new media as a means of reaching their audiences. The obligation on States to ensure the effective exercise of human rights involves not only negative obligations of non-interference, but also positive obligations to secure those rights for everyone within their jurisdiction. 75. A preliminary assessment of effectiveness of the Plan of Action was provided in the report prepared by UNESCO in advance of the multi-stakeholder consultation on strengthening its implementation (August 2017).38 In 2019, UNESCO launched a global, one-year-long study on effective measures in countering online violence against women journalists, to be published in late 2020. 76. In a joint statement in March 2017, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women stressed that online gender-based abuse and violence assaulted the basic principles of equality under international law and freedom of expression, and stressed 38 14 Available from https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/report_-_multi-stakeholder_consultation.pdf.