Statement of the Czech Republic:

 

The Czech Republic aligns itself with the statement on behalf of the EU and would like to thank the Lithuanian Presidency for bringing up this important topic.

 

We echo the widely shared regret over unacceptable and rising numbers of journalists harassed, threatened, attacked and killed, be it by state or non-state actors. And we deplore the impunity that prevails for crimes against journalists and thus engenders further violence.

 

Working journalists today represent part of everyone‘s freedom of opinion and expression, they are the catalysts of free flow of information and ideas. We all use the results of journalists’ work. These brave individuals far too often continue to pay the highest price for making sure human suffering in conflicts does not go unseen and unheard. Journalists have that strength to bring perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses from remote areas of the world suddenly and in the blink of an eye in the daylight of the press, TV or internet. Thanks to modern communication technologies, everybody, brave enough, can become easily a “citizen” journalist documenting violations and abuses of human rights. And everybody can be targeted as such.  

 

The systematic and comprehensive work done on universal and regional levels to raise awareness, set standards and share best practices must be met by the same resolve and commitment on the national level to reverse the entrenched impunity.

 

The Czech Republic supports through concrete projects strengthening of democratic media open, independent and professional journalism. We raise the issue of free and unhindered work of journalists regularly in the universal periodic review together with the rule of law of which safety of journalists must be an inherent part.

 

We welcome the shared examples of best practices of prevention as well as investigation and prosecution of crimes against journalists. We hope that the concerted efforts rallying behind the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity be it through UNESCO, OSCE, Council of Europe or other regional organizations will bring their fruits.

 

We owe it to survivors of attacks and threats, families of those killed as well as all the journalists whose work will always remain the ultimate litmus test of our democracies.