Two PEC statements at the Human Rights Council
General Assembly
Human Rights Council
28th session
Item 8 – Follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action
General Debate
Mr President,
In adopting by consensus the resolution on safety of journalists (A/HRC/27/L7) at its 27th session last year, the Human Rights Council urges States to promote a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference, to prevent attacks and violence against media workers, to ensure accountability through the conduct of impartial, speedy, thorough, independent and effective investigations, to bring perpetrators to justice, and to ensure that victims and their families have access to appropriate remedies;
The resolution calls upon States to develop strategies for combating impunity for attacks against journalists, including by using good practices such as the creation of special investigative units or independent commissions; the appointment of a specialized prosecutor; the adoption of specific protocols and methods of investigation and prosecution; the establishment of information-gathering mechanisms, such as databases, to permit the gathering of verified information about threats and attacks against journalists; the establishment of an early warning and rapid response mechanism to give journalists, when threatened, immediate access to the authorities and protective measures.
The PEC seizes this opportunity to request every State in this room to report on the implementation of the resolution and what it has done to develop the best practices agreed upon.
The PEC is deeply concerned that some States have done nothing to implement the resolution since September last year, and, on the contrary, have threatened, arrested, abducted, dismissed, injured, killed journalists. We are particularly concerned by the situation in Azerbaijan, Egypt, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine (Crimea), Yemen and Venezuela.
The Geneva based NGO PEC calls upon the authorities of these countries to implement the resolution that they have adopted in letter and spirit. It calls upon the Council and the OHCHR to follow-up quickly on the implementation of the resolution.
I thank you for your attention.
23 March 2015
General Assembly
Human Rights Council
28th session
Item 7 – Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories
General Debate
Mr President,
The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) regrets the postponement to the June session of the presentation of its report by the independent Commission of Inquiry on the situation in Gaza. The military operations last summer have killed 16 media workers and these killings must be thoroughly investigated. Media facilities have suffered several attacks which contravened international law.
The PEC calls upon the Commission of Inquiry to shed light on these attacks and killings in order to identify those responsible. The lack of protection given to media workers in the most longstanding conflict between Israel and Palestine is matter of deep concern for our organization.
According to the last report of the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), a PEC member awarded with the PEC annual Prize for Protection of Journalists in June 2009, a record number (465) of crimes and violations against media freedoms in Palestine has been registered during 2014.
Last year was the worst and the deadliest year in the history of Palestinian media.
MADA stated that the Israeli occupation forces committed 351 violations (112 in Gaza, 239 in the West Bank including East Jerusalem) or the equivalent of more than 75% of the total violations monitored and documented. While the different Palestine sides committed 114 violations (24 in Gaza and 90 in the West Bank) which is equivalent to 25%.
The PEC reiterates its condemnation of all violations against media freedoms in Palestine and stresses the need to prosecute the perpetrators of all these violations and to put an end to the escalating attacks against media in Palestine.
The PEC calls on the Members of the Human Rights Council to exert real pressure on the Israeli and Palestine authorities to induce them to comply with international law that guarantee media freedom and freedom of expression.
I thank you for your attention.
23 March 2015
Source: PEC
