A/HRC/27/28 analysis and recommendations relative to selected groups of defenders at risk, including journalists and media workers. The Security Council has expressed deep concern and condemned the acts of violence and attacks in many parts of the world against journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in armed conflict. In numerous resolutions, the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council have condemned violence against journalists and called on Member States to ensure their protection, end impunity and prosecute those responsible. In conflict areas, journalists and media professionals enjoy specific protection under international humanitarian law.7 2. Strategies 39. As highlighted above, media professionals and journalists play a fundamental role in the promotion and protection of human rights. Effective human rights education fosters their knowledge about, commitment to and motivation concerning human rights. Human rights principles provide essential guidance for their professional performance and the work of media outlets, which can only take place in an enabling environment in which access to information, freedom of expression and safety are protected. 40. All journalists should be given equal human rights training opportunities. Human rights-related content and values, with an emphasis on contextual specificities, should be part of any formal training and/or certification and should also be made available through opportunities for ongoing professional development. Whereas all journalists should have basic human rights literacy, specialized courses, such as on human rights reporting, should also be made available to them. 41. A comprehensive approach to human rights training for media professionals and journalists would include action in the three areas listed below. Policies and related implementation measures 42. If training is to produce the desired impact on professional performance, it must be clearly supported by and linked to corresponding policies and rules concerning not only training, but also the work of the profession in general. To that end, with regard to media professionals and journalists, the following strategies could be adopted: (a) Reviewing existing education and training policies to make sure that they incorporate human rights training; (b) Adopting policies that strengthen human rights education for media professionals, including policies on: (i) Pre-service and in-service training of media professionals, including editors and others in decision-making positions within media outlets, through the inclusion of human rights curricula in formal educational institutions and in online and/or community-based education for working journalists; (ii) Human rights education as a criterion for qualification, mentoring and career development; (iii) Recognition and support to civil society, in particular media associations, carrying out human rights training activities; (iv) Criteria and mechanisms for the evaluation of human rights training programmes; 7 See the report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (A/HRC/14/23). 13