A/HRC/RES/45/18
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
12 October 2020
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Forty-fifth session
14 September–7 October 2020
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 6 October 2020
45/18.
The safety of journalists
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and recalling relevant
international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from
Enforced Disappearance, and the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the Additional
Protocols thereto of 8 June 1977,
Recalling all General Assembly and Human Rights Council resolutions on the safety
of journalists, in particular Assembly resolution 74/157 of 18 December 2019 and Council
resolution 39/6 of 5 October 2018, as well as Council resolution 44/12 of 16 July 2020 on
freedom of opinion and expression and Security Council resolutions 1738 (2006) of 23
December 2006 and 2222 (2015) of 27 May 2015, on the protection of civilians in armed
conflict,
Recalling also the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the
Issue of Impunity, and the important role of the network of focal points throughout the United
Nations system in enhancing the safety of journalists and media workers,
Welcoming the important work of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization for the safety of journalists, including its role in monitoring
developments in this area, awareness-raising and capacity-building,
Welcoming also the initiatives taken by States, media organizations and civil society
relevant to the safety of journalists, noting in this regard the establishment of the Media
Freedom Coalition, 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
GE.20-13332(E)