SECURITY COUNCIL
STATEMENT
Open Debate
Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: Protection of Journalists in
Conflict Situations.
May, 27th, 2015
Mr. President,
The my Delegation commends the Lithuanian Presidency of the
Security Council, for holding this open debate on the Protection
of Journalists in Conflict Situations. We would like to welcome
and thank you Excellence Minister Mr. Linas Linkevicius, for
chairing this open debate.
We also thank the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Elliason,
the Secretary-General of Reporters without Borders, Mr.
Christophe Deloire, and Ms. Marianne Pearl of Daniel Pearl
Foundation for their briefings and their important contributions
for this open debate.
This is a timely debate, given the tragic record of journalists who
have been sacrificed in many countries of the world, particularly
in conflict situations. Both Mr. Deloire and Ms. Mariane Pearl
have shared with us their insightful observations on this topic we
are debating.
Mr. President,
While States bear the primary responsibility for the protection of
its civilian population, including journalists, as highlighted in
Resolution 1738 (2006), the international community has a
subsidiary but very important responsibility in addressing this
very serious problem.
Journalists face considerable risks in conflict zones: abductions,
hostage-taking,
harassment,
intimidation,
enforced
disappearance, arbitrary detentions, torture and illegal arrests, in
a clear violation of international humanitarian law.
According to Reporters without Borders, in 2014, 69 journalists
were killed in the discharging of their duties. This year alone, 22
have been killed, 12 of them in countries in the Security Council
Agenda, namely 5 in South Sudan, 2 in Iraqi, 2 in Yemen, and 1
in Syria, Ukraine, and DRC.
While the majority of the victims are male journalists, women are
increasingly subject to violations of their integrity while
performing their duties in conflict situations. Women journalists
face additional risks, related to, among others gender based
prejudices, sexual harassment and intimidation, sexual violence
and abuse in detention, which implies the need of a gender
perspective approach when considering measures to address the
issue of violence against journalists.
Nowadays, threats are not exclusively faced by the traditional
journalist: those engaged in social media, bloggers, and others
using modern information technologies to communicate,
disseminate information and express points of view also find
themselves in frequent danger.
Mr. President,
Angola attaches great importance to the protection of civilians, in
conflict situations, and particularly to the protection of journalists,
in accordance with the Geneva Conventions, namely the Third
Geneva Convention of 1949 on the treatment of prisoners of war,
and the Additional Protocols of 1977, in particular article 79 of
the Additional Protocol I, regarding the protection of journalists
in areas of armed conflict.
In Angola, the freedom of information and expression is granted
by the Angola Constitution, which recognizes to all citizens the
right to express, disseminate and freely share their thoughts, ideas
and opinions, by word, image or other means of communication.
The Constitution also recognizes the right to freedom of
information as the basis of a plural society, in which the
fundamental rights of citizens must be respected, within the
primacy of Law.
Mr. President,
Journalist often draw attention and witness grave violations of
international humanitarian and human rights law, specially by
reporting situations that often amount to threats to international
peace and security.
We value the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of
Journalists and the issue of Impunity approved in 2012 by
UNESCO, which has helped States to develop specific legislation
and mechanisms regarding freedom of expression.
Mr. President,
Despite the increased attention by the international community,
by the UN member States, and the Security Council’s action on
the issue, including the adoption of Resolution 1738 (2006),
violence against journalists persists.
The last report of the Secretary General on the protection of
Civilians (S/2013/689) highlights that accountability for the
perpetrators of attacks against journalists is virtually inexistent.
This is a situation that cannot prevail. Those responsible for
violations and attacks against journalists must be held
accountable for their deeds. We believe that combating impunity
is an important means for ensuring greater safety and protection
for journalist in conflict zones.
It is with dismal that we witness the current trends of threats
against journalists such as the terror tactics of war by some
terrorists groups, like the recent beheadings of journalists by ISIS
in Syria.
To conclude, Mr. President, we reiterate the important role that
regional and sub-regional organizations can play in ensuring the
protection of journalists and associated personnel in armed
conflicts and the need to render more effective cooperation
between United Nations and those organizations.
We are convinced that journalists can play a very important role
when reporting events with objectivity and professionalism.
The Security Council should continue to give more attention to
the protection of journalists and the Secretary- General should
include more detailed information on the situation of journalists
in conflict zones, both in the protection of civilians and countryspecific reports.
The adoption of resolution 2222 today which we have cosponsored is a clear indication and points to the correct direction
in which our Council has to move in the future.
I thank you Mr. President