Qatar stressed the important role of journalists and media workers insustaining democracy, achieving sustainable development and maintaining international peace and security, and noted the need to ensure their safety and the free, independent and safe functioning of their work, without hindrance, threats or violent reprisals.
This came in the State of Qatar’s statement delivered by Mrs. Juhara Al Suwaidi, Chrgé d'Affaires a.i. at the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar in Geneva, at a seminar organized by the Al-Jazeera Media Network in Geneva, entitled "The media and the safety of journalists", on Thursday 30 June 2022 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.  The Seminar focused on discussing ways to enhance journalists' safety in the course of their work, and advocated the adoption of international legislation considering the targeting and killing of journalists in conflict zones a war crime.

During the Seminar, Mrs. Al-Suwaidi noted that despite the progress made over the past decade in implementing the "United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity", endorsed by the United Nations Chief Executives Board  10 years ago, media workers continued to be killed, arrested, attacked and intimidated.

In this respect, Mrs. Al-Suwaidi reiterated Qatar's condemnation in the strongest terms of the assassination by the Israeli occupying forces of the Al-Jazeera correspondent in Palestine, Shireen Abu Akleh near Jenin refugee camp and the injuring of the Al Jazeera producer journalist Ali Al-Samudi, and the assassination of journalist and liberated prisoner Ghufran Warasneh at the entrance to Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.  

"These heinous crimes constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, freedom of information and of expression, and peoples' right to access information,  and therefore should not go unnoticed," said Mrs. Chargé d 'affaires a.i.

Qatar calls on the international community to take urgent action to prevent the occupation authorities from committing further violations, and to take all measures to stop violence against Palestinians and media workers and protect them. We also call on holding the Israeli occupation accountable for the crimes, and bring those responsible to international justice.

Qatar also called upon Member States, the United Nations system, regional bodies, civil society, the judiciary and all relevant actors to join forces in promoting the objectives of the United Nations Plan of Action.

In her statement, Ms. Al-Suwaidi stressed that working together can continue to build a safer and more enabling environment for journalists and media workers, and protect every citizen's right to reliable information.