DOHA: Doha Centre for Media Freedom is today hosting a forum to mark the first annual International Day to End Impunity and highlight the centre’s commitment to combating impunity and promoting the safety of journalists.
Impunity represents an ever-increasing threat to media freedom and human rights, as the number of journalists being targeted and killed around the world continues to grow, especially in the Arab region, and those responsible for persecuting journalists are allowed to walk free, a statement from the centre released yesterday said.
“Recognising this serious challenge to global democracy and media freedom, last year, the UN passed a resolution to introduce the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, marking the date on which two French journalists, Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, were killed while covering the conflict in Mali in 2013.”
Under the banner “Towards Ending Impunity,” DCMF is bringing together journalists, media experts and victims of attacks to discuss the impact of impunity, and to explore ways of addressing the issue and tackling ongoing injustice around the world.
The event is open to the public, and the centre has urged members of the media and anyone interested in media freedom to attend.
The event will include two main discussion sessions; the first focusing on the meaning of impunity and the impact that it has on media freedom around the world, and the second focusing on ending impunity and identifying mechanisms to achieve this goal.
The DCMF is a non-profit organisation working for press freedom and quality journalism in Qatar, the Middle East and the world.
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