During the ceremony, which was attended by representatives of the senior management of Al Jazeera and journalists from the media network, UNESCO Doha Office Director thanked Al Jazeera for giving UNESCO the opportunity and platform to raise awareness about the issue of safety of journalists and the campaign taking place all over the world to "End Impunity Now".

UNESCO Representative reminded participants that "every five days, a reporter is killed doing his or her job. Yet, in the majority of cases, those who commit crimes against journalists continue to walk free. Less than 7 percent of cases of journalists killed have been resolved in a court of law".

She continued by highlighting the fact that "as the only United Nations agency with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and press freedom, UNESCO stands up to condemn each killing of a journalist and to call for a thorough investigation. Information is quintessential in order to make the best decisions in our lives, be it economic, social or political".

Finally, UNESCO Doha Office Director stressed that "UNESCO urges States to take all the necessary measures, through legislation and protection mechanisms, to ensure that investigations and trials relating to crimes against journalists are undertaken. We also urge everyone to stand up on November 2 and demand that the rule of law is fully applied when journalists are attacked and killed in the line of duty. The cycle of impunity must stop. Journalists must be able to do their work safely for the public to continue to exercise their right to freedom of information and expression".

Read the Op-Ed prepared on the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists by UNESCO Director General and Sweden's Minister of Culture and Democracy on this link.