Global toolkit for law enforcement agents

Law enforcement agencies are often faced with many challenges to balance the right to freedom of expression with the imperative to maintain public order. During turbulent times, they have had to manage public safety issues around elections, natural disasters and public health emergencies, and facilitate respect for freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. Political, social and economic circumstances have increasingly encouraged unrest amongst the public, placing officers in often difficult situations.

Against this backdrop, journalists and their freedoms are increasingly threatened. Over the last 12 years, 1,088 journalists have been killed for their work or while on the job. In the first half of 2022 alone, 45 media professionals have been killed. In response, governments and law enforcement agencies have had to examine their ways of dealing with public order issues, working with journalists and communicating effectively with the public.

Through the seven modules in this toolkit, officers and trainers can better appreciate how to equitably balance their public safety and order duties while enabling freedom of expression, and its associated freedoms, through better communications, provision of information, supporting the legal process, and enabling journalists to work safely.