An updated Resolution on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, presented by Greece together with Austria, Costa Rica, France and Tunisia, was unanimously adopted by the UN 3rd Committee.
The new Resolution introduces new provisions that reflect key developments in international news, emphasizing the protection of journalists covering the climate crisis, managing threats from advanced technologies, and strengthening the accountability of digital platforms.
The new provision refers to the protection of journalists covering climate change, the environment and natural disasters. It strengthens the previous text from 2023, which acknowledged their contribution but did not specifically condemn attacks or call for full and independent investigations. The new provision reflects the increase in such incidents internationally, as well as their consequences for freedom of information in environmentally sensitive areas.
Another significant difference is the expansion of provisions on artificial intelligence and digital platforms. In the new text, artificial intelligence is treated not only as a potential tool for disinformation, but also as a technology that can facilitate targeted harassment of journalists, deepfakes and systematic smear campaigns.
Furthermore, for the first time, the Resolution calls on platforms to implement binding mechanisms for due diligence, transparency and addressing attacks on journalists – a provision that was absent from the 2023 Resolution.
Of particular importance are the strengthened references to extraterritorial targeting, as the new text condemns not only attacks and surveillance, but also practices of digital harassment and targeting originating from foreign actors. This addition reflects recent international cases of digital repression and “transnational repression”.
Report on threats against female journalists
At the same time, this year’s text substantially strengthens references to threats against women journalists. While the 2023 Resolution provided for general formulations, the new text introduces more specific operational requirements for gender-sensitive prevention, victim support and investigation procedures, especially for incidents in a digital environment.
The Resolution also calls on states to record incidents related to journalists covering climate and environmental issues, while the 2023 text was limited to a general obligation to collect data by gender.
Balta: "The safety of journalists is the basis of democratic societies"
Presenting the resolution, the Permanent Representative of Greece, Ambassador Balta, stressed that the revised version of the Resolution “keeps the issue high on the UN agenda” and that the new provisions “respond to the increasing threats faced by journalists internationally.” “Their safety,” she said, “is a necessary condition for peaceful, resilient and democratic societies.”
Source: iefimerida.gr
