UNESCO launches “Truth Never Dies” campaign to tackle crimes against journalists

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its “Truth Never Dies” campaign on Friday as the world observed the fifth International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
The campaign is aimed at fueling awareness on the issue of journalists killed on the job. “Truth Never Dies” encourages people to share stories by and about fallen journalists to keep their legacies alive and to push for investigations into their deaths to be continued, according to the UN.
“The truth never dies. And neither must our commitment to the fundamental right to freedom of expression,” the UN Secretary General António Guterres said, while highlighting that when journalists are attacked “societies as a whole pay a price.”
UNESCO, in a statement, outlined that in the last 12 years, over 1,000 journalists have been killed for reporting the news and bringing information to the public on trafficking, political wrong-doing and human right abuses. On average, this constitutes one death every four days. It explained that impunity leads to more killings and is often a symptom of worsening conflict and the breakdown of law and judicial systems adding that those responsible for these killings are almost never brought to justice.
Meanwhile, the Association of Caribbean Mediaworkers (ACM) noted that the November 2 observances are important to media workers as it allows them to bring about awareness to free press issues, particularly attempts to silence the media through criminal means.
“This is not unknown in the Caribbean and the ACM has cited instances in Haiti and Guyana in which attacks on media workers have gone unpunished. Every year, dozens of journalists are killed worldwide while in their pursuit to bring truth to the public. This year, so far, the Committee to Protect Journalists reports that 45 journalists have lost their lives – more than half were murdered, while others were killed on a dangerous assignment or in crossfire,” ACM said in a statement.
The Association said that despite those incidents occurring in other parts of the world, the Caribbean media professionals must not become complacent urging them to against all threats to silence the media.
“Crimes against journalists must not go unpunished and it is our responsibility to continue to highlight criminal acts committed against the media.
Tolerance and understanding are key to the process of ending impunity for crimes committed against journalists.
We therefore call upon politicians and other leaders to refrain from rhetoric that may incite violence against journalists,” the statement added.
UNESCO says in the last 12 years 1,010 journalists were murdered with nine of those cases remaining unresolved.
The “Truth Never Dies” campaign comes after journalist Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi was murdered on October 2, 2018 in the Saudi Arabia Consul in Turkey. Khashoggi, born on October 13, 1958, was a Saudi Arabian journalist and author, and a former General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of the Al-Arab News Channel. He also served as editor for the Saudi Arabian newspaper Al Watan, turning it into a platform for Saudi Arabian progressives
Khashoggi’s killing continues to draw global outrage as several organizations and governments around the world are calling for a transparent investigation.