A/HRC/20/22 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 10 April 2012 Original: English Human Rights Council Twentieth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns Summary Journalists, who play a crucial role in ensuring a society that takes informed decisions, are killed at an alarming rate by State and non-State actors. Others are intimidated into self-censorship. In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions investigates the mechanisms that are in place to provide greater protection to the right to life of journalists. The most immediate problem does not lie with gaps in the international legal framework. The challenge is rather to ensure that the established international framework is fully used, and that its norms are reflected in domestic laws and practices. The approach should be to elevate the killing of journalists from the local level to the national and international levels. The Special Rapporteur proposes measures aimed at ensuring greater accountability and identifies underutilized entry points at all levels that can be used by journalists at risk. GE.12-12873