A/HRC/20/17 I. Introduction 1. The present report focuses on the protection of journalists and media freedom, an issue of central importance for the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The Special Rapporteur previously considered the issue more comprehensively in his report to the General Assembly of 11 August 2010 (A/65/284), in which he examined trends with respect to violence against journalists in both conflict and non-conflict situations; the obligation of States under international human rights law and international humanitarian law and difficulties faced by so-called “citizen journalists.” He also provided recommendations to enhance the protection of journalists and citizen journalists alike, in both conflict and nonconflict situations. The Special Rapporteur and previous mandate holders have also included a section on the protection of journalists and freedom of the press in their annual reports to the Human Rights Council.1 2. Given the ongoing repression of journalists and media freedom worldwide, aimed at suppressing information deemed “inconvenient,” and increasing restrictions placed on the work of journalists who also disseminate information through the Internet, the Special Rapporteur wishes to again bring the issue to the attention of the Human Rights Council. The present report focuses on the protection of journalists outside of armed conflict situations as the majority of human rights violations against journalists take place outside of armed conflict, and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions will be presenting his annual report regarding the protection of journalists in conflict situations to the Human Rights Council. Moreover, the Human Rights Council held a panel discussion on the protection of journalists in armed conflict situations on 4 June 2010 (A/HRC/15/54), and the United Nations Security Council, whose binding powers do not extend to human rights violations in times of peace or when peace is not threatened, has condemned attacks against journalists in conflict situations in resolution 1738, adopted on 23 December 2006. 3. The Special Rapporteur affirms that journalism must be seen as an activity and profession that constitutes a necessary service for any society, as it provides individuals and society as a whole with the necessary information to allow them to develop their own thoughts and to freely draw their own conclusions and opinions. By exercising the right to “seek and receive information,” individuals can make informed decisions and express their opinions freely and participate actively in a democratic system. 4. Against this backdrop, and defined by their function and service, journalists are individuals who observe and describe events, document and analyse events, statements, policies, and any propositions that can affect society, with the purpose of systematizing such information and gathering of facts and analyses to inform sectors of society or society as a whole. Such a definition of journalists includes all media workers and support staff, as well as community media workers and so-called “citizen journalists” when they momentarily play that role. 5. Indeed, the Human Rights Committee, in its general comment No. 34, has also adopted a functional definition of journalism, by defining journalism as “a function shared by a wide range of actors, including professional full-time reporters and analysts, as well as bloggers and others who engage in forms of self-publication in print, on the Internet or elsewhere” (para. 44). 1 See for example A/HRC/4/27, A/HRC/7/14, A/HRC/11/4, A/HRC/14/23. 3