In a powerful address on Sunday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres marked the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, emphasizing the critical need for safety and justice for media professionals worldwide. Highlighting a disturbing statistic, Guterres noted that nearly 90% of journalist killings go unresolved, perpetuating a cycle of violence and threatening democratic values globally.

Guterres passionately argued that the failure to prosecute offenders not only violates the rights of the victims and their families but also poses a broader threat to press freedom and democracy. "Impunity anywhere is not only an injustice to the victims and their families – it is an assault on press freedom, an invitation to further violence, and a threat to democracy itself," he stated. He called on all governments to rigorously investigate each case, prosecute perpetrators, and ensure journalists can operate freely and safely everywhere.

This call to action underscores the ongoing challenges faced by journalists, including a rising trend of online violence, particularly against women in the media. A UNESCO discussion paper titled "The Chilling" revealed that 73% of women journalists experienced online threats, intimidation, or insults. However, current measures to combat this technology-facilitated gender-based violence are still lacking in effectiveness and enforcement.

The UN has established a Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, aiming to foster safer conditions for journalists through collaborative efforts among member states. This initiative aligns with UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163, which not only set the international day but also calls for concrete actions to counter the prevailing culture of impunity.

Since 1993, over 1,700 journalists have been murdered worldwide, with justice served in only a fraction of these cases. The UNESCO Director-General’s Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity identifies Latin America and the Caribbean as particularly perilous regions for media workers.

The annual commemoration serves as a reminder of the ongoing risks journalists face and the critical need for a united global response to uphold and protect press freedom. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected and as the role of the media in safeguarding democracy grows ever more vital, the urgency for action has never been clearer. The international community is called upon to transform this moment of awareness into a sustained movement for change, ensuring that journalists can perform their crucial role without fear of retribution.