A resolution issued by the Board of WAN-IFRA, meeting on the eve of the 67th World News Media Congress, 22nd World Editors Forum and 25th World Advertising Forum in Washington D.C., also called for greater solidarity within the news industry to propose solutions that improve safety and protection for all journalists, and to work together to support media professionals working in unstable and unsafe environments as a means of strengthening press freedom worldwide.
"WAN-IFRA calls on governments worldwide to actively support the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity and encourages support organisations to work more closely with media companies to address the gaps in training, equipment and expertise that could contribute to reducing dangers," said the Board of WAN-IFRA, the global organisation for the world's press.
The resolution acknowledged the tragic statistics that show 1127 journalists have been killed in the line of duty since 1992.
The WAN-IFRA Board acknowledged that over 50-percent of these deaths involved journalists working in print media, and that in the vast majority of instances, those killed were local journalists.
The full resolution can be read here.
WAN-IFRA issued four other resolutions:
Calling for the Release of Golden Pen Laureates and All Jailed Journalists
Calling on Venezuela and Ecuador to Respect the Independent Press
Calling for the Turkish Authorities to Respect Independent Media
Calling for Greater Support to Media in Fragile States
Around 900 chief editors, publishers, CEOs, managing directors and other senior newspaper and news publishing executives are attending the World News Media Congress, World Editors Forum and World Advertising Forum in Washington D.C. this week, says WAN-IFRA.
Live updates will be available on the conference blog or via Twitter: live coverage @NewsConf, curated updates @NewspaperWorld and via the hashtags #wnc15 and #Editors15
