UN scribe pays homage to journalists killed in line of duty

UN scribe pays homage to journalists killed in line of duty
November 3, 2015 • By pmnews
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday honoured journalists and media workers who were killed in the line of duty for reporting the truth.
The UN scribe bestowed the honour on Monday in New York in his address marking the International Day to end impunity for crimes against Journalists.
His speech underscored the importance of ensuring that journalists were given the freedom to report freely.
“More than 700 journalists have been killed in the last decade, one in every five days simply for bringing news and information to the public,” he said.
He said that only seven per cent of cases involving crimes against journalists were resolved, adding that less than one crime out of 10 were fully investigated.
“Such impunity deepened fear among journalists and enabled governments to get away with censorship.
“We must do more to combat this trend and make sure that journalists can report freely.
“Journalists should not have to engage in self-censorship because they fear for their life,” the UN chief said.
Ban stressed the need for collective action to end the cycle of impunity and safeguard the right of journalists to speak truth to power.