Name: Tahmeem Irshad

Committee: Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee

Topic Area A: Journalistic Freedoms and Protections

Country: Tunisia

School: Angels International College

The world is an increasingly dangerous place for journalists. On average, more than 30
journalists are murdered every year, and the murderers go unpunished in nearly nine of 10
cases. Hundreds of journalists each year are attacked, threatened, or harassed. Many are
followed or have their phone calls and Internet communications intercepted. More than 150
are behind bars at any given time, some without being charged with a crime. The whereabouts
of at least 35 journalists are unknown. Throughout the profession, journalists face emotional
stress whenever they cover stories involving pain or loss of life, from the sexual abuse of
children to terrorist attacks against civilians.1) There is a fundamental threat not to just
individual news professionals, but to the practice of independent journalism. A locally based
Journalist by far the largest threat endures the vast majority of murders, imprisonment and
abduction. In 2014 about 61 journalists (Syria:17, Ukraine: 5, Iraq: 5, Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territory:4, Somalia:4, Afghanistan:3, Pakistan:3, Brazil: 3, Paraguay: 3, Mexico:2,
India:2, Libya:1, Yemen:1, Bangladesh:1, Guinea:1, South Africa:1, Democratic Republic of the
Congo:1, Myanmar:1, Egypt:1) and 11 media workers were killed.2)

UNESCO actively promotes the safety of those who produce journalism and believes that they
have the right to work free from the threat of violence and to ensure the right to freedom of
opinion and expression for all. In the past 10 years, more than 700 journalists and media
workers have been killed – the majority of them are not war correspondents. Attacks on media
professionals are often perpetrated in non-conflict situations by organized crime groups, militia,
security personnel, and even local police, making local journalists among the most vulnerable.
These attacks include murder, abductions, harassment, intimidation, and the illegal arrest and
detention.3) There are different signatory organizations working for the journalistic freedoms
and protections e.g. Agency France-Pressed, American society of journalists and authors,
International Women's Media Foundation, Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, Journalists in
Danger, National Press Photographers Association, Online News Association etc.4) . In this year
about 36 Journalists were killed, 8Netizens and citizen journalists were killed, 148 journalists
were imprisoned and 183netizens were imprisoned.5) Incidents happened in the past e.g. the
attack on the Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir in 20146), journalists killed in Russia in past 3
years(Alexander Khodzins, Kazbek Gekkiev, Akhmednabi Akhmednabiev Timur Kuashev)7), 61
journalists killed by ISIS in Iraq and Syria8) and many other incidents shows the fundamental
threat to journalistic protection and freedom.

Tunisia respects neutrality of journalists and wanted to immediately end the cycle of impunity
surrounding attacks on journalists. Foreign journalism face significant logistical and security
challenges, while domestic face more severe threats to their lives and freedom. Tunisia wanted
to take some enforcement measures over the problem and wanted to make some laws to
ensure the protection of journalists. ARTICLE 19 is to launch a programme to protect journalists
and human rights defenders in Tunisia, following a series of meetings with media workers and
civil society groups in the country. Three consultation events were held in Tunis between 15
and 17 May 2013 to discuss the training needs of those who speak publicly about matters of
public importance, in order to ensure their safety. The first session targeted journalists, media
workers and organizations that represent media professionals. Among those who attended
were a number of people who had been the victims of violence or received death threats as a
direct result of their work. The second session focused on representatives of civil society
organizations working in the field of freedom of expression, while the third session targeted
lawyers and the judiciary.9) There is a need for training and for the raising of awareness of
human rights issues, and particularly in relation to freedom of expression and freedom of
information. Tunisia believes that the problem of impunity should immediately solve. In order
to tackle the issue of impunity, a joint effort would be needed by the legal profession, media
workers, human rights defenders and civil society at large. Tunisia is deeply concerned with the
collateral damages faced by journalists and also wanted countries to grant constitutionally the
journalists protection unlike United Kingdom.
A resolution must answer how we can protect journalistic rights even in conflicted zones.
Further resolution must answer how governments can and international organizations rein in
the impunity currently enjoyed by many perpetrators of violence against journalists?

1)
https://cpj.org/security/guide.pdf

2)
https://www.cpj.org/killed/2014/

3)
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/freedom-of-expression/safety-of-journalists/

4)
http://dartcenter.org/content/global-safety-principles-and-practices#.VaEQqV9Vikr

5)
http://en.rsf.org/

6)
http://www.dawn.com/news/1100972

7)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sList_of_journalists_killed_in_Russia
8)
http://www.mintpressnews.com/MyMPN/list-61-journalists-killed-2014/

9)
https://www.article19.org/resources.php/resource/3764/en/tunisia:-programme-to-protect-journalists-and-hum
an-rights-defenders-launched