[JURIST] The UN on Sunday observed the first International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists after the resolution [report, PDF] to do so was adopted in December of last year. The date commemorates the assassination of two French journalists, Gislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, in Mali in 2013. The resolution urges members to take active measures to eliminate the current culture of impunity for crimes against journalists. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] expressed his thoughts on the day, stating [statement]:

In the last ten years, more than 700 journalists have been killed for simply doing their job. Some cases have received international attention—others less so. … Nine out of ten cases go unpunished. As a result, criminals are emboldened. … No journalist anywhere should have to risk their life to report the news.

Irina Bokova [official profile], Director-General of UNESCO [official website], echoed Ban’s remarks, stating [statement, PDF], “I appeal to all governments to ensure a swift and thorough investigation every time a journalist is killed, and to all partners for stronger cooperation to enhance the safety of journalists.”

Journalism is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, with more than 1,000 journalists killed since 1992 and more than 200 journalists imprisoned. In September a group of UN human rights experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, urged stronger protection [JURIST report] for journalists covering conflicts. The group said recent attacks, kidnappings, and arbitrary incarcerations need to be condemned and opposed by the international community. Last month rights groups declared the execution of US journalist James Foley by Islamic State (IS) extremists a war crime [JURIST report]. In July Amnesty International reported mounting evidence of abductions and violence against activists, protesters and journalists [JURIST report] in eastern Ukraine. Also in July a Myanmar court sentenced [JURIST report] four journalists and the chief executive of the Unity Journal to 10-year prison sentences and hard labor for publishing a story alleging the Myanmar military had seized land in Magwe for the purpose of producing chemical weapons. In June an Egyptian court sentenced three Al Jazeera journalists to prison [JURIST report] for reporting false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood; three other journalists were sentenced in absentia.