A/HRC/15/54 law, States have a threefold obligation to respect, protect and fulfil all individuals’ right to freedom of expression, and when violations occur, to fully investigate such acts, to prosecute persons responsible, and to provide victims with effective remedy. Emphasizing that such human rights obligations continued to apply during times of armed conflict alongside international humanitarian law, the Special Rapporteur noted that they were also applicable in situations of internal disturbances and tensions where there might be use of force, but the threshold of armed conflict had not yet been crossed. In his view, the main problem with regard to continuing attacks against journalists lay not in the lack of international legal standards and norms, but in the lack of vigorous implementation of the existing rules. The Special Rapporteur expressed his concerns that the perpetrators of attacks against journalists and other media professionals had enjoyed total impunity in 94 per cent of cases recorded in 2009, while the percentage of cases in which even some partial measure of justice had been obtained was minimal. He underscored that in only 2 per cent of the cases of attacks against journalists in 2009 had the offences been tried before the competent authorities and the perpetrators and instigators prosecuted. Stressing that preventing impunity functioned as the most important deterrent against the repetition of such attacks, he stressed the necessity of exploring ways to improve compliance with existing norms, and encouraged the Council to continue its deliberation on that pressing topic in its future sessions. The Special Rapporteur also suggested that the Council undertake an in-depth study on the issue. 7. Mr. Robin Geiss of ICRC expressed concerns that experiences from recent armed conflicts showed that, in addition to being exposed to dangerous situations because of the nature of their work, media professionals were increasingly prone to becoming victims of direct attacks in violation of international humanitarian law. He further noted that intentional attacks against journalists, as civilians, constituted a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Since images and news could have a decisive impact on the outcome of armed conflicts in the information era, he emphasized that the obstruction of journalists’ tasks in times of armed conflict was alarmingly frequent, ranging from denial of access, censorship and harassment, to arbitrary detention and direct attacks against media professionals. While it might appear that international humanitarian law does not provide much protection for journalists at first sight, the panellist stressed that as civilians, journalists in fact enjoyed comprehensive protection against direct attacks, arbitrary detention, and internment during armed conflict. He also stated that the most serious deficiency was the lack of vigorous implementation of existing rules, and of systematic investigation, prosecution and sanction of violations, rather than a lack of rules. In that regard, he stressed the role that ICRC plays to protect journalists, in particular by making the rules regarding the protection of journalists and civilians in armed conflict more widely known and better respected, and asserted that improved compliance with existing rules should be the foremost objective. 8. Mr. Mogens Schmidt of UNESCO observed that the number of journalists killed when reporting from conflict and war zones had risen steadily since 2002, but also noted that there had also been a radical increase in the killing of media professionals during times of peace. He stressed that the safety of journalists was an issue that affected all, and that every aggression against a journalist was an attack on the most fundamental freedoms. According to the panellist, one of the aggravating factors that made it difficult to ensure the protection of journalists in conflict and war zones was that currently many conflicts were not only fought between States, but involved insurgents and terrorists who did not respect international humanitarian or human rights law. To enhance their protection, the panellist underscored the need for media staff to receive safety and first aid training, so that they would be prepared to confront the risks inherent in war zones, and so that they could learn how to behave appropriately in the face of danger, and how to deal with the effects of traumatic events. He also emphasized that media staff must be appropriately equipped and 3