UN secretary-general António Guterres has said that 85 per cent of crimes committed against journalists go uninvestigated and unpunished, describing the situation as an unacceptable level of impunity.

Mr Guterres stated this in his message to mark World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3 to highlight the importance of press freedom and the safety of journalists globally.

He said press freedom remained a key pillar of democracy, noting that the media served as a public watchdog.

Mr Guterres stated that the 1991 Windhoek Declaration strongly reiterated media freedom, which led the United Nations to designate the day to defend and strengthen press freedom worldwide.

The UN chief warned that economic pressures, emerging technologies and deliberate information manipulation were placing press freedom under unprecedented strain.

“When access to reliable information erodes, mistrust takes root. When public debate is distorted, social cohesion weakens.

“When journalism is undermined, crises become far more difficult to prevent and resolve. All freedom depends on press freedom. Without it, there can be no human rights, no sustainable development, and no peace,” he said.

Mr Guterres also called for stronger protection of journalists and for efforts to ensure a world where truth and those who report it are safe.

He said journalists often became the first casualties in conflict, risking their lives to report events.

“People often say that in war, truth is the first casualty. But far too frequently, the first casualties are the journalists who risk everything to report that truth, not only in war, but wherever those in power fear scrutiny.

“Across the globe, media workers risk censorship, surveillance, legal harassment, and even death,” he said.

Mr Guterres further noted a sharp rise in the number of journalists killed in recent years, often deliberately targeted in conflict zones. 

(NAN)