Journalists, who play a crucial role in ensuring a society that takes - PDF document

Summary Journalists, who play a crucial role in ensuring a society that takes informed decisions, are killed at an alarm ing rate by State and non - to the right to life of journalists. The most immediate problem does not lie with gaps in the international legal framework. The challenge is rather to ensur e United Nations A /HRC/20 / 22 General Assembly A/HRC/20/22 4 parliamentary elections in Egypt.On 15 April 2011 and on 5 August 2011, the Special Rapporteur jointly with other mandateholders urged the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to immediately stop violenagainst civilians. oint statementeredelivered on behalf of all pecial rocedure mandatelders at the seventeenth and eighteenth special sessions of the Human Rights Council on the human rights situations in the Syrian Arab Republic, on 22 August and 2 December , respectively 2 A number of joint statements were issued on death penalty caseon 22 September 2011, to call for an immediate halt to the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran, 3 and on 1 July and 21 September 2011, to urge the Government of the United States of America to stop the executions of Humberto Leal Garcíaand Troy Davisrespectively. On 6 May 2011, the Special Rapporteur issued a joint statement with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism on the killing of Osama bin Laden, asking the Government of the United States to disclose the facts surrounding the operation. On 20 October 2011, the Special Rapporteur issued a statement denouncing targeted killing policies. On 2 March 2012, a statement was sent jointly with other pecial apporteurs calling on the Government of Pakistan to act decisively to end sectarian violence. 4 International and national meetings On 19 September 2011, the Special Rapporteur participated in a panel discussion held as a sideevent duringthe eighteenth session of the Human Rights Councilentitled“Towards universal abolition of the death penalty: Sharing best practices on ratifying the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political ights”The event was organied by the Permanent Mission of Belgium in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and with the support of the World Coalition gainst the Death Penalty. On the occasion of the World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October1, the Special Rapporteur took part in a panel discussion on the international jurisprudence regarding the death penalty and the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishmentorganied in Geneva, Switzerland by the World CoalitionAgainst the Death Penalty anfacilitated by the Governments of Belgium and Chile. At an expert consultation entitled“Safety of Journalists: Towards a ore ffective nternational rotection ramework”, heldby the Government of Austria in Viennaon 23 ovember2011, the Special Rapporteur delivered introductory remarks on rotecting the right to life of journalists. On 17and 18 January 2012, the Special Rapporteur attended a consultation in Addis Ababa, entitled“Enhancing Cooperation between the African and the UN Special Procedures Mechanisms for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. Following the meeting, a orking roup was established and a roadmap was adopted on concrete means to strengthen the cooperation between thse mechanisms. The Special Rapporteur was appointed Chair of thorking roupfor a sixmonth term 2 Available from http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/17/index.htm and http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/18/index.htm 3 This follows a statement of 2 February 2011 calling for a moratorium on the death penalty in the Islamic Republic of Iran. 4 Available from http://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11895&LangID=E