DEC/24/116 Panel discussion on the safety of journalists

GE.13-17777

Human Rights Council Twenty-fourth session

Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,

political, economic, social and cultural rights,

including the right to development

Decision adopted by the Human Rights Council

24/116.

Panel discussion on the safety of journalists

At its 34th meeting, on 26 September 2013, the Human Rights Council decided to adopt the text below:

“The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights and other relevant international human rights instruments,

Recalling Human Rights Council resolution 21/12 of 27 September 2012 on the safety of journalists,

Recalling also all relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council, in particular Council resolution 12/16 of 2 October 2009 and all other resolutions on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Council resolution 13/24 of 26 March 2010 on the protection of journalists in situations of armed conflict, and Council resolution 20/8 of 5 July 2012, on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet,

Recalling further all relevant reports by the special procedures of the Human Rights Council with regard to the safety of journalists, in particular the reports of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression1 and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,2 presented to the Human Rights Council at its twentieth session, and the interactive dialogue thereon,

 The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of

the Council on its twenty-fourth session (A/HRC/24/2), Part One. 1 A/HRC/20/17 and Add.1–A/HRC/24/23. . 2 A/HRC/20/22, Corr.1 and Add.1–4.

Deeply concerned at the frequent violations and abuses of the human rights of journalists, including through killing, torture, enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, expulsion, intimidation, harassment, threats and acts of other forms of violence, as well as through measures, such as surveillance, search and seizure, when aimed at hampering the work of journalists,

Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the safety of journalists3 presented to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-fourth session,

Acknowledging in particular the recommendation made in the report to continue to promote the issue of safety of journalists through the Human Rights Council and related panel discussions,

1. Decides to convene, at its twenty-sixth session, a panel discussion on the issue of the safety of journalists, with a particular focus on discussing the findings made in the report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,3 identifying challenges and further developing good practices for ensuring the safety of journalist by sharing information on initiatives undertaken to protect them;

2. Requests the Office of the High Commissioner to organize the panel discussion from within existing resources, in consultation with States, relevant United Nations bodies, funds and programmes, in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, treaty bodies, special procedures and regional human rights mechanisms, as well as with civil society, non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions, with a view to ensuring their participation in the panel discussion;

3. Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare and submit a summary report on the panel discussion to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-seventh session.”

[Adopted without a vote.]