Urge UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appoint a Protector of Journalists

Right now RSF is leading a worldwide coalition of people organizing for the UN appointment of a Protector of Journalists—a position that would have the political weight, the capacity to act quickly, and the legitimacy to save journalists lives. At this week’s General Assembly, help us show the United Nations that the time to act is now.

Please sign the letter below so we can deliver it to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at our event on September 16th.

Letter to sign:

To Secretary General Ban Ki-moon,

787 journalists and media personnel were killed while exercising their profession over the last 10 years. In the year 2015 alone, the numbers reflect 67 journalists killed worldwide.

Through them, the right to information of hundreds of millions of citizens has been sacrificed. The major problems around the world, from environmental issues to extremist violence, cannot be resolved without the work of journalists.

I am urging the United Nations Secretary General and its Member States to appoint a Special Representative to the UN Secretary General for the safety of journalists.

We need a concrete mechanism to ensure the compliance of member states with their obligations for journalist safety.

In this regard, only a Special Representative to the UN Secretary General for the Safety of Journalists working closely with the UN Secretary General will significantly empower the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity and all efforts lead by UNESCO.

It is time for concrete action.

It is time for journalists to work in a safe environment and to put an end to impunity.