NEW YORK – To mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the group of friends on the protection of journalists, co-chaired by the Permanent Missions of France, Greece, and Lithuania to the United Nations, organized today at the United Nations a panel discussion on the safety of women journalists in conflict situations.
The Group of Friends on the Protection of Journalists was created in 2016 and consists of 17 member states, from all regional groups, committed to strengthening the protection of journalists and media workers and the accountability for the crimes committed against them. The current members of the Group are Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Greece, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Sweden, Tunisia, Republic of Korea, the United States, and Uruguay.
The panel discussion was moderated by Michelle Nichols of Reuters. The panelists included: Erin Banco- Middle East Reporter, Marie Bourreau- World correspondent for Le Monde and Radio France Internationale (RFI), Tatiana Mossot- Voice of America Journalist, Elisa Lees Muñoz- International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) Executive Director, and Joel Simon- Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
In her introductory remarks, the Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations, Ambassador Catherine Boura, observed the strong connection between press freedom and the safety of journalists and highlighted the gender aspect of the safety of journalists, especially in conflict situations.
She noted that today a growing number of talented and courageous women cover conflict situations and take enormous risks in the field.
Ambassador Boura pointed out the need for a comprehensive approach involving UN agencies, peacekeeping missions, civil society, and States to deal with the specific challenges faced by women journalists.
She emphasized the need for training in order to achieve results in promoting the safety of journalists in conflict areas and that Media agencies should be encouraged to provide women employees with specialized training, before sending them to conflict regions.
Ambassador Boura mentioned that Greece has already engaged in this direction offering existing infrastructure to provide training regarding the safety of journalists in conflict situations through the Hellenic Multinational Peace Support Operations Training Center (HMPSOTC) http://www.mpsotc.gr/.
She said that the HMPSOTC has developed training courses for journalists and media workers in conflict situations, taking into consideration the specific challenges faced by women journalists. Adding that the participation of women journalists in the courses is a priority for Greece, Ambassador Boura also highlighted the importance of fighting injustice and ensuring accountability for offences committed against women journalists in war-torn situations.
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