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January 16, 2025January 16, 2025 – Europe –
Twenty-two member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) issued a joint statement reaffirming the critical role of journalist safety and media freedom in maintaining peace and security. The declaration, led by Iceland and supported by countries including Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and Ukraine, emphasized that there can be “no genuine security without media freedom, and no media freedom without journalists being able to carry out their work safely and freely.”
The signatories expressed strong support for the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) and its mandate to monitor press freedom violations, issue rapid alerts, and advise member states on improving media safety. They highlighted the increasing dangers faced by journalists, particularly in conflict zones such as Ukraine, where dozens of media workers have been killed, detained, or abducted since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The statement underlined that attacks on journalists are often early warning signs of broader human rights violations and political repression. It urged OSCE states to take concrete measures to ensure safe working conditions for journalists, combat impunity for crimes against media workers, and guarantee that emergency laws and national security measures do not erode freedom of expression.
Importantly, the declaration positioned journalist safety not merely as a press freedom issue but as a core security priority for democratic states. It called on governments to uphold international legal obligations, provide prompt and transparent investigations into attacks on journalists, and engage with civil society to foster a safer media environment.
This joint effort also served to reassert the OSCE’s broader mission: defending human rights, democracy, and the rule of law amid growing geopolitical instability.
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