Director General's Report on the Safety of Journalists and the Danger of Impunity
Paris: International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) (2022), 102 pp.
Other editions: also published in French
"In 2020-2021, UNESCO recorded a total of 117 killings of journalists worldwide, a high number in absolute terms, but a 25% drop from the previous two-year period, when UNESCO recorded a total of 156 killings. This biennium recorded the lowest death toll compared to any other reporting period since the first Director-General's report in 2008. The year 2021 shows the lowest annual death toll in 14 years with 55 deaths, representing a further decrease in killings compared to the previous record low of 57 killings in 2019. However, it is important to highlight that, although outside of the reporting period, as of 30 September 2022, according to the “UNESCO Observatory of killed journalists”, a total of 66 journalists have been killed in 2022." (Executive summary)
1 Executive Summary, 3
2 Rationale, 4
3 Background and Context, 5
4 Journalist Killings in 2020 and 2021: Key Findings, 11
5 State Responses: Status of the Judicial Inquiries on Cases of Journalists Killed From 2006 to End 2021, 19
6 Other Monitoring and Reporting Mechanisms on the Safety of Journalists, 32
7 Conclusion, 35
8 Draft Decision, 37
Annex A: Methodology for the Analysis of States’ Responses on the Status of Judicial Investigations, 40
Annex B: Status of Judicial Inquiries of Journalists Killed in 2006-2021, 42
Annex C: List of Killings of Journalists Condemned by the Director-General in 2020 and 2021, 94
Annex D: Regional Groupings as Employed for the Purposes of this Report, 99
2 Rationale, 4
3 Background and Context, 5
4 Journalist Killings in 2020 and 2021: Key Findings, 11
5 State Responses: Status of the Judicial Inquiries on Cases of Journalists Killed From 2006 to End 2021, 19
6 Other Monitoring and Reporting Mechanisms on the Safety of Journalists, 32
7 Conclusion, 35
8 Draft Decision, 37
Annex A: Methodology for the Analysis of States’ Responses on the Status of Judicial Investigations, 40
Annex B: Status of Judicial Inquiries of Journalists Killed in 2006-2021, 42
Annex C: List of Killings of Journalists Condemned by the Director-General in 2020 and 2021, 94
Annex D: Regional Groupings as Employed for the Purposes of this Report, 99
