Journalists at Risk: Side Event at the Human Rights Council
The United States was pleased to support and participate in the Community of Democracies (CoD) and OHCHR led side-event “Journalists at Risk: How diplomatic missions can effectively protect journalists and safeguard media freedoms.”
Participating in the October 3 event on the margins of the Human Rights Council, Ambassador Michele Taylor said “The United States unequivocally condemns threats, harassment, violence, and arrests targeting journalists and media workers simply for doing their job. This is truly a global challenge, and it requires the global democratic community to redouble our efforts to protect press freedom. Journalism is not a crime.”
Opening remarks were delivered by CoD Secretary General Thomas E. Garrett and Patricia McCullagh, Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN in Geneva. OHCHR’s Renaud Gaudin de Villaine moderated the panel discussion which also included Ambassador Riia Salsa-Audiffren of Estonia , Abdoul Aziz Thioye, Chief a.i. of the Rule of Law, Equality and Non-Discrimination Branch of OHCHR, Silvia Chocarro, Head of Protection, Article 19 and Pia Flores, journalist and anthropologist.