Ending impunity is critical since it not only raises homicide rates but is frequently an indication of increased violent behavior and a breakdown of the judiciary and the legal systems.
INTERNATIONAL DAY TO END IMPUNITY FOR JOURNALISTS CRIMES: For almost a decade, November 2 has been designated the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI).
HISTORY
The date for IDEI was carefully selected to mark the occasion of the November 2, 2013 assassination of two news reporters in Mali. Al Qaida alleged responsibility for the murders and kidnappings of two French journalists, Claude Verlon and Ghislaine Dupont. The perpetrators have yet to be charged with a crime. Official statistics paint a bleak picture for other reporters as well.
More than 1,200 journos were brutally murdered for doing their jobs between 2006 and 2020, according to UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists. The assassins escaped punishment in 90% of such cases.
The General Assembly Resolution that inaugurated the establishment of IDEI motivated all Member Nations to put in place measures to address the ubiquitous impunity culture that prevails.
THEME
The major event marking the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists is a High-Level Multi-Stakeholder Summit on News reporter Protection in Vienna, Austria, with the concept “Protecting Media to Protect Democracy.” The motto for this year is “Knowing the Truth is Protecting the Truth.”
SIGNIFICANCE
The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes is the UN’s first organized initiative to tackle threats on reporters as well as the dilemma of impunity for offenses against them using a multi-stakeholder and comprehensive strategy. It gathers legislators from the United Nations, government bodies, the press, and civil society groups.
The annual observance to has aided in the formation of multinational coalitions of governments and civil society, as well as real-world reforms such as the establishment of national safety protocols in at least 50 countries.
Despite these achievements, the problem continues. Acts of violence against reporters keep going to be involved in extrajudicial killings, and completely new attacks are emerging.
