The President of the Mauritanian Journalists’ Union, Mr Ahmed Taleb Maâloum, signed a roadmap for journalists’ safety in the Arab region yesterday, Thursday evening, in the Tunisian capital.
The signing, involving numerous unions and journalism organisations from 13 Arab countries, took place at the closing session of the regional conference for Arab countries on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. The conference was organised by UNESCO in cooperation with the Tunisian Journalists’ Union, the International Federation of Journalists and several organisations interested in journalism.
The roadmap calls for an independent international coalition to investigate cases involving crimes against journalists.
It urges governments to adopt an effective policy to combat impunity for crimes against journalists, take the necessary measures to prevent them, establish a mechanism to protect journalists, particularly women journalists, and report attacks and harassment against them. It also calls for national laws to be revised to include provisions offering journalists better protection in line with international standards.
It calls on publishers, media directors and editors-in-chief to fulfil their commitments to provide support for journalists facing physical, digital, psychological or legal risks.
A special session organised by the International Federation of Journalists alongside the conference to discuss a draft convention on journalists’ safety and independence gave the Union President an opportunity to remind the Federation’s Secretary-General and participating unions and journalism organisations of the disappearance of Mauritanian journalist Ishaq Ould El Mokhtar in Syria and the need for cooperation and coordination on his case.
The conference was attended by the President alongside Deputy Secretary-General Mr Achrif El Arbi and Complaints and Disputes officer Mr Imam Eddine Ahmedou, and saw broad participation from journalists’ unions, human rights organisations, lawyers, judges and media experts.
