November 2: International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Every year, the United Nations marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2. This year, the day is celebrated under the theme
Theme: Protect Journalists, Protect the Truth
Background
Between 2006 and 2019, more than 1,200 journalists have been killed. The recent assassination of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 kindled worldwide criticism and scrutiny of the Saudi Government.
Why November 2?
The date of November 2nd was chosen to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against journalists to commemorate the assassination of French journalists in Mali in 2013.
World Press Freedom Index, 2020
India dropped to 142 out of 180 countries in World Press Freedom Index, 2020. Norway ranked first. South Asia in all was poorly featured. Pakistan dropped three places to 145 and China was at 177.
Press Freedom in India
In India, there have been frequent press violations lately. This is the main reason for India to drop down in ranking. This includes ambushes by political activists, violence against journalists, attacks by criminal groups and corrupt officials. The assassination of Journalist Gauri Lankesh in 2017 was condemned in India widely and protests took place in several parts of the country alleging that GoI failed to protect the journalist.
World Press Freedom Day
The World Press Freedom Day is celebrated on May 3 by the United Nations. The day is celebrated to remind the governments about the importance of press and press freedom
World Press Freedom Conference
The Conference is conducted by UNESCO every year. This year it is to be held in December, 2020 under the theme, “Strengthening Investigation and Prosecutions to end Impunity for Crimes against Journalists”. This year, in 2020, the conference is to be conducted jointly by Netherlands and UNESCO. It was originally planned in April 2020. But was postponed to December 2020 due to COVID-19.
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Month: Current Affairs - November, 2020