The safety of journalists is an essential prerequisite for achieving freedom of expression, democracy, social development and peace.
As providers of information on matters of public interest, journalists play an important role around the world. Upon the initiative of Austria, in September 2012, the UN Human Rights Council passed by consensus a resolution on the safety of journalists which condemns all forms of attacks against journalists and addresses issues such as combating impunity and providing adequate remedies.
On the basis of this resolution and bearing in mind the activities undertaken by international organizations such as UNESCO, OSCE and the Council of Europe, the Embassies of the Republic of Austria and of the Swiss Confederation to Poland, together with the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Poland, organized an international conference under the title The Safety of Journalists – Current Challenges, which took place in Warsaw on 23-24 April 2013.
This volume contains the statements by the participants of this meeting, representatives of international organizations, civil society and the media, as well as its recommendations which, among others, underline the essential role of national, regional and local governments in the protection of journalists, call for an improvement of existing monitoring mechanisms, and highlight the significance of the necessary safety training for media representatives.
