Norway’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Tormod C. Endresen wrote a statement on 20 March 2024 for the Human Rights Council 55th Session, where he called for the protection of journalists and media workers in situations of armed conflict and civil unrest. He mentions China and Hong Kong, where he says many journalists are persecuted and imprisoned which is a violation of their human rights. He also mentions Myanmar and Belarus, where journalists are also detained for their work and he urges all the countries to release the journalists and ensure that they get a fair trial.
He writes, that the press plays an important role in informing the rest of the world on human rights violation and abuse. Journalists and media workers are often at the frontlines of armed conflicts to provide information and reliable news reporting, making them exposed to harmful working conditions.
Furthermore Tormod C. Endresen mentions Gaza, where journalists have been attacked, while working and many have died. He also says Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted press freedom and he calls for the release of journalists, who are imprisoned for their work, in Russia and the occupied territories in Ukraine.
Source: norway.no
