International Association Of Independent Journalists Inc.

[Maurice Ali]

UN Security Council Holds Debates On Journalist Safety!


By Maurice Ali, President: IAIJ Inc.


On July 17, 2013 the UN Security Council held a meeting (Security Council 7003rd Meeting) with four prominent journalists in order to discuss protections for journalists around the world in this new digital age. The journalists were Associated Press Executive Editor and CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists) Vice Chair Kathleen Carroll, AFP Somalia correspondent Mustafa Haji Abdinur, NBC chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel; and Ghaith Abdul-Ahad of the Guardian. This was history making as this was the first time journalists were invited to address the council. IAIJ was not at the meeting so we will not report specifically on what happened at that venue. However, we will nevertheless address some broad observations about the meeting.

First, the International Association of Independent Journalists applauds the United States of America for instigating the meeting with the journalists and the member nations that comprise the UN Security Council and the other delegates that attended. Furthermore, the International Association of Independent Journalists applaud those journalists and delegates at the meeting who used concepts, statements and language that were all encompassing to all forms of journalists. Finally, the International Association of Independent Journalists applauds the member nations that comprise the UN Security Council for attending the meeting and listening to the journalists present there, and for their own participation in discussions that hopefully will lead to further discussions with a goal to come in the form of consensus in the international community and/or concrete international policies regarding protections for all types of journalists.

The International Association of Independent Journalists is a registered not-for-profit journalist association primarily concerned with advocacy and support for citizen journalists around the world at the international level.


http://iaij.org


IAIJ: JOURNALISTS IN ACTION AROUND THE WORLD!