DISCUSSION ON TOPIC: VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS, THE INTEGRITY OF ELECTIONS, AND THE ROLE OF PUBLIC LEADERSHIP
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists: 02 November
The Globe International Center with support of Open Society Forum of Mongolia and IFEX in cooperation with Mongolian National Commission of UNESCO and Media Council of Mongolia organized the “Discussion on topic: violence against journalists, the integrity of elections, and the role of public leadership” to celebrate International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists at 10.00-13.00 on 02 November.
The event opened with welcome remarks by Mr. Tapan Mishra, UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, Mrs. Kh.Naranjargal, Chair of the Mongolian National Commission of UNESCO IPDC Bureau, Board Chairperson of GIC, and Mrs. G.Gunjidmaa, Executive Director of Media Council of Mongolia.
In the first part of the event, presentations made by Mr. T.Buyantogtokh, Chief detective for detecting crimes against human health inviolability of the Investigative Service of the Central Intelligence Agency, L.Galbaatar, Lawyer of GIC, and Ms. A.Amartuvshin, Project manager of Media. In the second part of the event journalists raised a discussion based on their own struggles under the topic “Cases of journalists’ right to access to information and freedom of expression has been violated”.
This year’s day 02 November is highlighting the issue of the safety of journalists during elections, which will be especially important for 2024 as 2,6 billion people of 81 countries are about to vote in national and regional elections. The activities organized by the world within the framework of the day are aimed to strengthen the investigation and prosecution of cases of attacks against journalists, thus protecting the freedom of expression, the right to know, and the freedom of the press through multi-stakeholder participation.
In the past 17 years from 2006 to 2023, a total of about 1,600 journalists, media workers, and social network content creators have been killed globally. Unfortunately, overall impunity rate for these killings of journalists is 90 percent where perpetrators of these crimes have not punished appropriately.
On November 4, 2020, the UN Human Rights Council reviewed and discussed the human rights situation in Mongolia for the third time, and recommended to ensure the safety of journalists, provide conditions for their free activities, and independently investigate any cases and impose appropriate punishment on the guilty party of attacks against journalists.
However, as the result of “Journalists security” research made by The Globe International there still reporting the violations such as attacks on the security of Mongolian journalists, media workers, and social network activists, threats, interrogations and harassment to reveal their sources, and summoning to court for preparing news and reports that affect public interests.
Therefore, in order to protect the freedom of expression, celebrating this International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists aims to increase the awareness and knowledge on the safety of journalists and call legislators, decision-makers, the media, civil society and the public to end any harassment and violence against them.
THE GLOBE INTERNATIONAL CENTER
02 November 2023