Statement at the Open Debate of the UN Security Council on the Protection of Journalists in conflict situations, by H.E. Ambassador Dr. Zsolt Hetesy, Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary to the United Nations, on 27 May 2015.
The debate was organized by the Lithuanian Presidency of the Security Council and focused on ensuring the safety of journalists in conflict situations and the question of accountability.
Resolution 2222, co-sponsored by 48 states, including Hungary, was adopted unanimously by the Council, and it affirms that the work of a free, independent and impartial media constitutes one of the essential foundations of a democratic society.
Ambassador Hetesy highlighted in his statement that the safety of journalists has direct impact on the freedom of opinion and expression therefore they must be protected. For people in conflict situations, access to quality and timely information can be a matter of life and death. Hungary emphasized that the increased number of attacks on journalists is a symptom of a much broader problem, related to the diminishing respect for international human rights and humanitarian law obligations in conflict situations. Therefore, besides treating the symptom, we will also have to focus on the root causes. The violence against journalists can only be addressed by the cooperation of States, the UN agencies and relevant stakeholders.
