The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today deplored the death of television reporter Mohamed Abdikarim Moallim Adam in a car bomb attack in Mogadishu, Somalia.
“I condemn this attack and deplore the death of Somali journalist Mohamed Abdikarim Moallim Adam,” the Director-General said. “Somali journalists are paying an unacceptable price to continue providing their country and the world with news and information. Their safety is of paramount importance to us all who want to see violence give way to dialogue and mutual understanding.”
Mohamed Abdikarim Moallim Adam, a reporter for Universal TV, was near the Jazeera Palace Hotel of Magidushu on 26 July when a car bomb exploded.
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.
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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…”