A/HRC/RES/39/6
Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development, and expressing concern at the
increase in violence against and harassment of journalists described therein,
Welcoming further the initiatives taken by States, media organization and civil
society relevant to the safety of journalists, and taking note in this regard of the Freelance
Journalist Safety Principles and the International Declaration on the Protection of
Journalists presented at the World Congress of the International Press Institute, held in
March 2016 in Doha,
Mindful that the right to freedom of opinion and expression is a human right
guaranteed to all, in accordance with article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that it
constitutes one of the essential foundations of a democratic society and one of the basic
conditions for its progress and development,
Recognizing the importance of freedom of expression and of free, independent,
plural and diverse media, online as well as offline, in building and supporting the
functioning of inclusive and peaceful knowledge societies and democracies, an informed
citizenry, the rule of law and participation in public affairs, in holding public institutions
and officials accountable, including by exposing corruption, and in fostering intercultural
dialogue, peace and good governance, as well as mutual understanding and cooperation,
Underlining the importance of voluntary professional principles and ethics
developed and observed by the media,
Recognizing the crucial role of journalists and media workers in the context of
elections, including to inform the public about candidates, their platforms and ongoing
debates, and expressing serious concern that attacks against journalists and media workers
increase during election periods,
Recognizing also the importance of public trust in and the credibility of journalism,
in particular the challenges of maintaining media professionalism in an environment where
new forms of media are constantly evolving and where targeted disinformation and smear
campaigns to discredit the work of journalists are increasing,
Recognizing further that the work of journalists often puts them at specific risk of
intimidation, threats, harassment and violence, including the targeting of their family
members, which often deters journalists from continuing their work or encourages selfcensorship, consequently depriving society of important information,
Deeply concerned by all human rights violations and abuses committed in relation to
the safety of journalists and media workers, including killing, torture, enforced
disappearance, arbitrary arrest and arbitrary detention, expulsion, intimidation, harassment,
threats, including of a physical, legal, political, technological and economic nature, and acts
of other forms of violence,
Deeply alarmed at the specific risks faced by women journalists in relation to their
work, and underlining in this context the importance of taking a gender-sensitive approach
when considering measures to address the safety of journalists, including in the online
sphere, in particular to effectively tackle gender-based discrimination, including sexual and
gender-based violence, threats, intimidation, harassment, inequality and gender-based
stereotypes, and to enable women to enter and remain in journalism on terms of equality
and non-discrimination while ensuring their greatest possible safety, and to ensure that the
experiences and concerns of women journalists are effectively addressed,
Alarmed at instances in which political leaders, public officials and/or authorities
denigrate, intimidate or threaten the media, including individual journalists, which increases
the risk of threats and violence against journalists and undermines public trust in the
credibility of journalism,
Expressing serious concern at attacks and violence against journalists and media
workers in situations of armed conflict, and recalling in this regard that journalists and
media workers engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall
be considered civilians and shall be protected as such, provided that they take no action
adversely affecting their status as civilians,
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