‘Defending Journalism – Global Best Practices’

Islamabad :A new global report showcasing how countries like Pakistan are combating impunity of crimes against journalists worldwide will be launched today.
The report, ‘Defending Journalism – Global Best Practices,’ commissioned by UNESCO and produced by European organisation International Media Support (IMS) showcases success stories about how journalists and media support groups are leading a determined fight against an assault on media freedoms globally, including in Pakistan.
The landmark report, assessing the progress of countries on implementation of the 2012 UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and issues of Impunity will be launched at the National Conference on Media Safety to be held today. The conference will be conducted by Freedom Network, Pakistani media rights organization, in collaboration with IMS.
The conference will include a host of international and national speakers, including UNESCO Director General and Ambassadors of Norway and Sweden to Pakistan, delegates from Denmark, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Philippines, the UK and Canada and various associations of media workers, media owners, media managers and media regulators from Pakistan.
The report is a comparative analysis of successful practices in seven countries on how national mechanisms in various countries are protecting journalists and media freedoms and addressing the issue of impunity.
IMS is formally launching this report in all seven countries, including Pakistan. The report also details indigenous media safety mechanisms in Pakistan that are combating impunity for crimes against journalists and which provide lessons for the international community on how to safeguard freedom of expression and keep journalists safe.
Pakistan is declared to be one of the most dangerous places on the planet to practice journalism. Over 120 have been killed in line of duty since 2000 and over 2,000 of the country’s 20,000 journalists have been assaulted, injured, kidnapped, arrested or seriously intimidated in this period. The Pakistan government is currently drafting a bill on safety of journalists to combat impunity of crimes against journalists and information practitioners.