A/HRC/15/54 I. Introduction 1. On 4 June 2010, during its fourteenth session, the Human Rights Council held a panel discussion on the protection of journalists in armed conflict, pursuant to its resolution 13/24. In the resolution, the Council further requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner (OHCHR) to liaise with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all concerned parties and stakeholders, including relevant press organizations and associations and United Nations bodies and agencies, with a view to ensuring their participation in the panel discussion. 2. The panel discussion aimed to: (a) draw the attention of the international community to the dangers faced by journalists in armed conflict; (b) take an inventory of international frameworks and agreements applicable to journalists and the media in situations of armed conflict and the status of their implementation; and (c) contribute to the development of an appropriate response by the Human Rights Council. 3. The panel discussion was chaired by Mr. Alex Van Meeuwen (Belgium), President of the Human Rights Council; moderated by Mr. Hisham Badr (Egypt), Vice-President of the Human Rights Council; and opened by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Kyung-wha Kang. The panellists were: Mr. Frank La Rue, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Mr. Robin Geiss, legal adviser in the Legal Division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); Mr. Mogens Schmidt, Deputy Assistant of the Director-General for Communication and Information and Director of the Division for Freedom of Expression, Democracy and Peace at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Mr. Osama Saraya, Editor-in-Chief of Al Ahram newspaper; Mr. Omar Faruk Osman, President of the Federation of African Journalists, an organization affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists; and Ms. Hedayat Abdel Nabi, President of the Press Emblem Campaign. 4. Pursuant to Council resolution 13/24, the present summary has been prepared by OHCHR. II. Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights and contributions of panellists 5. The Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, in her opening remarks, commended the Council for placing the important issue of the protection of journalists in armed conflict high on its agenda, and underscored the vital role played by journalists amidst the so-called “fog of war” to keep the world informed about the truth and facts unfolding on the ground. However, she noted that despite unequivocal norms enshrined in international humanitarian and human rights law guaranteeing their protection, deliberate attempts to target journalists in areas of ongoing conflict continued to increase. As such attacks were committed with impunity, the Deputy High Commissioner stressed that other would-be abusers were encouraged to follow suit. Noting that the erosion in the observance of the international norms highlighted the need to take proactive measures to ensure they would be fully respected and implemented, she called for the development of a common approach to protect journalists in armed conflict not only across United Nations entities, but in the international community as a whole. 6. Mr. Frank La Rue, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, emphasized that under international human rights 2