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The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today deplored the killing of journalist Robert Chamwami Shalubuto in Goma (North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo) and called for measures to improve the safety of journalists.
“I condemn the killing of Robert Chamwami Shalubuto which raises concerns about the safety of journalists,” the Director-General said. “I call on the authorities to investigate this case and spare no effort to improve the safety of journalists."
Robert Chamwami Shalubuto, a journalist for public broadcaster Congolese National Radio and Television (CNRT) was shot by two unidentified gunmen while he was with friends in a bar in the provincial capital of North Kivu on 26 December.
The Director-General of UNESCO issues statements on the killing of media workers in line with Resolution 29 adopted by UNESCO Member States at the Organization’s General Conference of 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.” These statements are posted on a dedicated webpage, UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.
Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray(at)unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 42 12
UNESCO is the United Nations agency with a mandate to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. Article 1 of its Constitution requires the Organization to “further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.” To realize this the Organization is requested to “collaborate in the work of advancing the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples, through all means of mass communication and to that end recommend such international agreements as may be necessary to promote the free flow of ideas by word and image…”