Countries Responsible for Safety of Journalists in Conflict Areas, says UN Rep

KUALA LUMPUR, July 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia stressed that safety and protection of journalists in conflict areas must be enhanced, pointing that the main responsibility lies with the respective countries. Malaysia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Hussein Haniff said the countries were responsible in ensuring their safety and should accord protection to the fullest extent of the law for journalists on duty in the conflict areas. "In this regard, my delegation calls for the strict adherence to UN Security Council Resolution 1738 (2006) and 1894 (2009), as well as the relevant international law, including humanitarian and human rights laws, in the protection of civilians," he said. He said this during the debate on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: Protection of Journalists at the United Nations Security Council in New York on Wednesday. Expressing concern over reports that journalists were being targeted and killed while covering events in Gaza last year, Hussein said there could be no impunity on the matter as journalists were civilians and must be protected in times of conflict, in accordance with international law. Last year alone, he said 121 journalists were killed while 147 violations, including imprisonment, were reported against the group. Malaysia had also lost a journalist in Somalia last year. Hussein further contended that while the countries had the primary responsibility to protect journalists, the media industry must also be partly responsible for the well-being of journalists. "Being responsible for sending them to conflict areas, the media industry should provide journalists with the necessary preparation, proper briefing and adequate information, regarding the security situation in those areas," he said. Hussein said the media must also be wary of the dangers they would face and situations that they would likely encounter. Due to the risks taken by journalists, the media industry could also allocate sufficient provisions and services to better protect them, including providing greater protection with the creation of social safety nets and life insurance, he said. Above all, he said journalists must be responsible for their own safety and security. Hussein said Article 79, sub-paragraph 2 of the Additional Protocol 1 of the Geneva Convention clearly stipulated that journalists were protected, provided they took no action that adversely affected their status as civilians. "This is something that journalists must constantly abide by. In the confusing scenario that exists in conflict areas where killings and chaos are widespread, journalists are not easily distinguished. Thus, they must avoid putting themselves in such a situation." Hussein said Malaysia was also appalled by the findings reflected in the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity 2012 that there was an increasing trend of targeted killing of journalists worldwide. Condemning the violence which had cost the lives of 372 journalists between 2006 and 2011, he said Malaysia believed that impunity must end and that the UN had an important role to play in combating it, as reflected in the UN Plan of Action. Apart from that, he said the advancement of information and communication technology could play an important role in improving protection for journalists, such as live visual feeds, connected via satellite from conflict areas, allowing journalists to report on the ground situation without actually being close to the conflict zone. Meanwhile, speaking at the UN Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) Groups of Friends Meeting (Permanent Representatives' Level), Hussein said as long as the international community failed to address the problems between the Muslim world and the West, certain groups would turn to violence to demonstrate their grievances. Thus, he said, it was hoped that the Alliance and its partners could do more to address a prominent cause of the animosity and distrust that took place between religions and cultures. Hussein said Malaysia also welcomed greater focus being given to conflict prevention and reconciliation. Nevertheless, the Alliance must be careful as to remain apolitical and not duplicate other efforts being made in that regard, he added. -- BERNAMA