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Arab journalists seek protection |
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 Journalists from across the Arab world met in Geneva recently to set up the International Covenant for the Protection of Journalists (ICPJ), a new union to specifically protect journalists in conflict zones through the adoption of standards separate from the Geneva Convention.
“The Geneva Conventions offer a generalized form of protection. But we need a specific convention for journalists,” said the ICPJ’s President Mohamed Yousef, who is also President of the United Arab Emirates’ Syndicate of Journalists. Press syndicates from eleven countries, including Iraq, Bahrain, the UAE, and the Palestinian territories, joined to create the non-governmental organization.
The ICPJ will work with the Geneva-based Press Emblem Campaign to create a legal mechanism separate from, but parallel to, existing international covenants. Member subscriptions will fund the creation of a network of lawyers to represent journalists in
conflict areas – and their families.
In a parallel development, the Iraqi Journalists Union is set to offer special courses to train journalists how to survive in conflict zones and war-torn environments. The group is prepared to teach martial arts and survival courses to reporters, photographers, and television crews in order to protect their equipment and report stories without endangering their lives. |
