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Building peace in the minds of men and women

UNESCO Journalists' Safety Indicators

Developed within the context of the endorsement of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity by the UN Chief Executives Board and launching of an implementation strategy for 2013-2014, the purpose of the Journalists' Safety Indicators (JSI) is to pinpoint significant matters that show, or impact upon, the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity.

 

The JSIs allow for a mapping of key features that can help assess the extent to which journalists are able to carry out their work under safe conditions, and determine whether adequate follow-up is given to crimes committed against them. The JSIs serve to identify the actions that are taken by the various relevant stakeholders in promoting journalists’ safety and fighting impunity at national level. These actors include the UN, State and political actors, civil society organizations and academics, and media and intermediaries.

The JSIs especially serve as a basis against which changes can be systematically registered over time, these changes – hopefully – representing progress, and having a positive impact as regards the safety of journalists. As regards the United Nations, they can help UNESCO and other relevant UN agencies assess on a periodic basis the extent to which the implementation of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity has contributed to improving the security of media professionals in the countries participating in the roll-out of the Action Plan.

It should be noted that the indicators are not intended as a universal model, but rather as signalling a range of relevant items that can serve the purpose of mapping and understanding. They are therefore descriptive and are for the purpose of analysis not prescription. Not every indicator is relevant or even desirable in every context. However, any published findings should indicate the cases in which indicators have not been included for reasons of either suitability or absence of data. Please consult the guidebook for researchers for the use of the indicators.

There are two sets of indicators – one targeted for national assessment, and the other applies to the global level. There is also a guidebook for researchers for applying the national level indicators. The national-level indicators and the guidebook have been updated in 2015 in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Other updated language versions will be published later on. It is recommendable to use the latest available version of the indicators in each language, and the latest version of the guidebook in English or other accessible language if possible, for the accuracy of the research process.

International Level

National Level

Guidebook for applying the National Level

In 2013-2014, the Journalists' Safety Indicators (JSIs) were piloted in Guatemala, Honduras and Pakistan. UNESCO has completed and published full JSI assessments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kenya and Nepal, while assessments in South Sudan are being finalised. New JSI assessments are currently ongoing in Colombia, Mali, Uganda and Vietnam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

JSI-related projects were also carried out in PDF icon Liberia and PDF icon Nigeria.

Supporting safety of journalists in Afghanistan: an assessment based on UNESCO's Journalists' Safety Indicators

The publication provides a comprehensive overview of Afghanistan's media safety situation. As the first publication of its kind, it report assesses the state of journalists’ safety and the issue of impunity in the country, by discussing the (i) the safety and impunity statistics, as well as major categories of actors and their actions that can directly impact upon journalists’ safety: (ii) state and political actors; (iii) civil society and academia; (iv) the media and intermediaries; and (v) UN and other intergovernmental bodies operating in the country. The report also reflects the current state of the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and provides a baseline for future developments with the Plan.

The assessment was a nationally-driven process, carried out in partnership with the local Afghanistan Journalists Safety Committee and The Killid Group. Both participatory and inclusive, the process involved two key meetings to ensure multi-stakeholder participation. Widespread consultations including in-depth interviews with key informants and focus groups were also conducted. This report’s scrutiny is not about finger-pointing and guilt-distributing, but a verification of how each one of us is taking our responsibility, and try to understand why failure happens.

 

 

Supporting safety of journalists in Guatemala: an assessment based on UNESCO's Journalists' Safety Indicators

This report discusses the results of a comprehensive analysis of the national media safety landscape in Guatemala on the basis of the Journalists’ Safety Indicators of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This report is intended as a baseline study with the major objective of assisting the development of public policy in the area of safety of journalists in Guatemala, encouraging further research, and improving future monitoring efforts. It is the result of a literature review and various consultations with the key stakeholders working in the area of safety of journalists in Guatemala. The report reflects the actual safety situation of journalists as reported by various international and national organizations. It also covers in detail the actions taken by the Government of Guatemala, civil society organizations, academia and the media, and the UN system and other international organizations to improve the safety situation of journalists on national level, as well as their insights on the topic.

 

 

Supporting safety of journalists in Iraq: an assessment based on UNESCO's Journalists' Safety Indicators

The publication provides a comprehensive overview of Iraq’s media safety situation, assessing the state of journalists’ safety and the issue of impunity in the country by looking into five areas: (i) the safety and impunity statistics;: (ii) state and political actors; (iii) civil society and academia; (iv) the media and intermediaries; and (v) UN and other intergovernmental bodies operating in the country.

The findings in this publication are a snapshot at a particular point in time – at 2015. Thus the study shows what further work was needed at that time. Progress since then can now be comprehensively assessed from that point on. In this way, the Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSI) are a challenge for all actors to do better, so as to ensure that there has indeed been change and that it has been positive. In summary, the JSI findings are both a knowledge resource and a milestone

 

 

 

Supporting safety of journalists in Kenya: an assessment based on UNESCO's Journalists' Safety Indicators

The report is the result of the Journalists' Safety Indicators assessment in Kenya. It will provide a comprehensive overview of Kenya's media safety situation, and it is the first of its kind. It is important to have this overview of journalists' safety in the country in order to have a baseline for local stakeholders from which to work to improve the situation. The report assesses the state of journalists’ safety and the issue of impunity in the country, by discussing the (i) the safety and impunity statistics, as well as major categories of actors and their actions that can directly impact upon journalists’ safety: (ii) state and political actors; (iii) civil society and academia; (iv) the media and intermediaries; and (v) UN and other intergovernmental bodies operating in the country. The report also reflects the current state of the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and provides a baseline for future developments with the Plan.

 

 

Supporting safety of journalists in Nepal: an assessment based on UNESCO's Journalists' Safety Indicators

The report is the result of the JSI assessment in Nepal,  a nationally-driven process carried out in partnership with the local Development Communication Society (SODEC). It provides a comprehensive overview of Nepal's media safety situation. It assesses the state of journalists’ safety and the issue of impunity in Nepal, by discussing the (i) the safety and impunity statistics, as well as major categories of actors and their actions that can directly impact upon journalists’ safety: (ii) state and political actors; (iii) civil society and academia; (iv) the media and intermediaries; and (v) UN and other intergovernmental bodies operating in the country. The report also reflects the current state of the UN Plan of Action on Safety of Journalists and provides a baseline for future developments.

 

 

 

Supporting safety of journalists in Pakistan: an assessment based on UNESCO's Journalists' Safety Indicators

This report discusses the results of a comprehensive analysis of the national media safety landscape in Pakistan on the basis of the Journalists’ Safety Indicators of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is the result of a literature review and various consultations with the key stakeholders working in the area of safety of journalists in Pakistan. The report reflects the actual safety situation of journalists as reported by various international and national organizations. In addition, it covers in detail the actions taken by the State of Pakistan, civil society organizations, academia and the media, and the UN system and other international organizations to improve the safety situation of journalists on national level, as well as their insights on the topic.

 

 

 

  • Applying UNESCO's Journalists' Safety Indicators (JSIs) - A Practical Guidebook to Assist Researchers
    For National Level

  • UNESCO work plan on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity