PFUJ calls for end to Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 11 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
A conference in Strasbourg on November 4 signaled a new period for the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. The 3rd UN Inter-Agency meeting on the Action Plan involved over 100 participants, including six UN organizations.
Co-hosted by UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the event also included diplomats from Philippines, Pakistan, Austria, Honduras and Azerbaijan. A message was relayed by Iraq's ambassador to UNESCO.
The sentiment of the meeting was expressed by African Union Commission's Habiba Mejri-Cheikh, who stated that "an attack on any one journalist must be pursued as an attack on all of us".
Civil society groups, media and academics also took part, alongside representatives of the International Criminal Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and Dunja Mijatovic, rapporteur for freedom of the media at the OSCE.
The participants shared information on how, over 18 months, the UN Plan had stimulated new attention to journalists' safety within the UN system, as well as within a range of countries including Pakistan, Nigeria, Tunisia, South Sudan, Nepal and Mexico.
Suggestions were voiced about strengthening work at the global level, and the need to localize international standards and processes at country level.
Calls were made to broaden participation in the Plan, by involving more UN bodies, courts, media owners and young people.
Emphasis was put on strengthening political will so that governments were sensitized to take the necessary steps and allocate budgets in order to ensure protection for journalists and an end to impunity for crimes against freedom of expression.
Another theme discussed in the meeting was the need for greater sharing of information and awareness-raising about the UN Plan and why societies needed to ensure safe conditions for journalism to flourish.
A statement from 23 civil society and professional groups reaffirmed support for the UN Plan, and recommended "a stronger strategic focus on engaging all stakeholders at domestic levels".
A draft Implementation Review Report prepared for the conference will now be revised and circulated for comment. - UNESCO
November 02, 2025: PFUJ urges Pakistan’s federal and provincial governments to end Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and ensure their safety and press freedom.
November 02, 2025: Impunity for crimes against journalists deepens worldwide as Pakistan reports a 60 percent surge in attacks and weak enforcement of safety laws.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.
October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistan’s worsening media crisis and financial instability.
November 02, 2025 Independent outlet All About Macau to halt print and online operations amid rising pressure, financial strain, and legal threats, sparking press freedom concerns in the city.
November 01, 2025 Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.
November 01, 2025 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.
November 01, 2025 UNESCO survey finds one-third of media lawyers cannot effectively defend journalists due to threats, limited resources, and lack of specialization.
October 31, 2025 Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.