The Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), the African regional organisation of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), has called for a more coherent, comprehensive, and coordinated actions to guarantee the safety of journalists in the continent.
Speaking at the United Nations Inter-agency Meeting on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, organised by UNESCO in Paris on 13-14 September, FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman said while the domestication of UN resolutions and international legal instruments were pertinent, the implementation and enforcement of already adopted instruments at the UN field missions was indispensable.
The FAJ president expressed concern over the non-implementation of the UN resolution No. 1738 by the UN peacekeeping missions or African Union missions. Osman said certain peacekeeping missions in Africa had failed to provide protection to endangered journalists despite explicit mandate to protect.
“There have been enough resolutions, binding or nonbinding, on the safety of journalists. We now need pragmatic implementation and enforcement of these resolutions,” he told the 17 UN specialised agencies and worldwide civil society at the Paris meeting
“This unprecedented international cooperation of UN, regional inter-governmental organisations and defenders of safety of journalists must be done at the regional and national levels to make solid difference,” he said.
“Journalists in Africa face increased safety challenges with Somalia remaining the single most dangerous place for journalists in Africa while Eritrea stood out as the greatest jailer of journalists” Osman added.
He pointed out that the use of treason charges in Burundi, use of acts of terror against journalists in Nigeria, organized crackdown on journalists by ruthless political forces in Zimbabwe as well as the use of criminal defamation against journalists in both Senegal and Cameroon posed danger to independent journalists.
“Impunity against journalists in Africa remains a major threat to the safety of journalists. We continue to witness insensitive judicial systems in many countries while parliaments are manipulated.” said Osman. He said the executive branches of governments remained corrupt and oppressive, often using the security forces to terrify and destroy journalists.
FAJ hailed UNESCO and the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) for convening this first ever consultations with relevant stakeholders.
“While taking into account different proposals from stakeholders, we support the proposed plan of action which will lead tangible way of protecting the safety of journalists and tacking the issue of impunity,” declared Osman.
FAJ has been championing the protection of the safety of journalists in the continent which resulted in May 2011 for ACHPR to adopt the first resolution by African Union a resolution on the safety of journalists and media practitioners.
FAJ has done this in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Special Rapportuer for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Adv. Pansy Tlakula.
Speaking at the United Nations Inter-agency Meeting on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, organised by UNESCO in Paris on 13-14 September, FAJ President Omar Faruk Osman said while the domestication of UN resolutions and international legal instruments were pertinent, the implementation and enforcement of already adopted instruments at the UN field missions was indispensable.
The FAJ president expressed concern over the non-implementation of the UN resolution No. 1738 by the UN peacekeeping missions or African Union missions. Osman said certain peacekeeping missions in Africa had failed to provide protection to endangered journalists despite explicit mandate to protect.
“There have been enough resolutions, binding or nonbinding, on the safety of journalists. We now need pragmatic implementation and enforcement of these resolutions,” he told the 17 UN specialised agencies and worldwide civil society at the Paris meeting
“This unprecedented international cooperation of UN, regional inter-governmental organisations and defenders of safety of journalists must be done at the regional and national levels to make solid difference,” he said.
“Journalists in Africa face increased safety challenges with Somalia remaining the single most dangerous place for journalists in Africa while Eritrea stood out as the greatest jailer of journalists” Osman added.
He pointed out that the use of treason charges in Burundi, use of acts of terror against journalists in Nigeria, organized crackdown on journalists by ruthless political forces in Zimbabwe as well as the use of criminal defamation against journalists in both Senegal and Cameroon posed danger to independent journalists.
“Impunity against journalists in Africa remains a major threat to the safety of journalists. We continue to witness insensitive judicial systems in many countries while parliaments are manipulated.” said Osman. He said the executive branches of governments remained corrupt and oppressive, often using the security forces to terrify and destroy journalists.
FAJ hailed UNESCO and the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) for convening this first ever consultations with relevant stakeholders.
“While taking into account different proposals from stakeholders, we support the proposed plan of action which will lead tangible way of protecting the safety of journalists and tacking the issue of impunity,” declared Osman.
FAJ has been championing the protection of the safety of journalists in the continent which resulted in May 2011 for ACHPR to adopt the first resolution by African Union a resolution on the safety of journalists and media practitioners.
FAJ has done this in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Special Rapportuer for Freedom of Expression and Access to Information of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Adv. Pansy Tlakula.
Source: TUJ Tanzania
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