2 November is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
Every week, a journalist is murdered around the world. In a world where 9 out 10 journalist killings remain unsolved, we cannot be indifferent. We cannot let their deaths be invisible to society. Impunity for these crimes continues to be a threat for free expression.
Accountability matters. Without it, crimes against journalists go unpunished.
Impunity for killings of journalists is unacceptably high at 86%.
UNESCO publishes its latest figures on the global impunity rate for journalists’ killings. Although this figure remains unacceptably high, it represents a 9 percentage points reduction in the rate of impunity since 2012 when the United Nations launched its Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists.
Of the 117 journalists killed in 2020–21, 91 or 78% were killed while off the clock, for example, at home, in their vehicles or in the street but not on specific assignment. Several were killed in front of family members, including their children.
In the 2020–2021 period, 6 journalists were killed while covering protests, riots or demonstrations. This confirms the trend identified in the previous Director-General’s Report which noted a rise in the number of journalists killed in such contexts.
