The FINANCIAL -- GENEVA, The Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) Award Committee, designating for the first time an Award for the Protection of Journalists, decided that it’s Award for outstanding efforts in the media protection field goes jointly to the Palestinian Center for Development and media Freedoms (MADA) and to Mexican Ambassador at the UN in Geneva Luis Alfonso De Alba.
The PEC Award was designated to MADA, based in Ramallah, for its outstanding role in providing accurate and detailed information about the siege of journalists
in Gaza and outside Gaza during the war from 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009, when the media was not allowed to enter Gaza to cover the war. In addition, MADA documents on a daily basis the working conditions of journalists in an extremely dangerous zone that is the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). In carrying out its mission, MADA has proven even handedness, impartiality and a neutral coverage on media violations by all parties within and outside the oPt, a courageous outlook that deserves serious acknowledgment.
The decision to split the PEC Award between MADA and the Mexican Ambassador at the UN in Geneva Luis Alfonso De Alba was a result of Ambassador’s De Alba’s efforts and dedication to flag the issue of the protection of journalists in conflict zones among his colleagues on the level of ambassadors by launching an informal consultation process on ways and means forward to enforce and in an attempt to put in place new ideas to protect journalists.
The Mexican Ambassador’s endeavors assisted the PEC to carry its serious commitment for new legal binding clauses to the attention of the diplomatic community and hence through them to the international community.
Ambassador De Alba’s efforts were the first efforts in this regard which presented a shinning image of his country, Mexico.
Though his country, Mexico, represents one of the most dangerous places in the world for media work and often singled out as the most dangerous, Ambassador De Alba has flagged his country as a defender of rights by launching the Convention on Disabilities, a process that was difficult at the beginning then turned to be one of the most successful by assembling all the international community behind the Convention, a process of inspiration for the PEC Campaign.
The PEC Awards will be received today, Thursday 4 June 2009, at the Swiss Press Club marking the 5th anniversary of the PEC.
The Award Ceremony is sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kuwaiti magazine Al Yaqatha spearheaded by Ahmed Yusuf Behbehani, and the Swiss Press Club.
PEC President Hedayat Abdel Nabi said that the 5th anniversary of the PEC marks a turning point in its work.
She added that the PEC has developed ideas, set them for discussion, and today it renews its 1000 miles journey for respect for the fallen journalists by mobilizing through its Award and the Remembrance Day a new momentum to carry the process forward.
The Award ceremony also marks the victims of the media community, as the first ever remembrance day for hundreds of media colleagues who have fallen when on duty.
Abdel Nabi praised the sponsors for supporting the PEC event.
As we honor the memory of the fallen journalists, said Abdel Nabi, “we must pay tribute to the living, their families, who are in dire need for support morally and in material terms”.
For the living victims, said Abdel Nabi, the human rights of their loved ones have been seriously violated and the wounds will never heal”.
PEC Secretary-General Blaise Lempen said that the PEC Award will be annually designated on 4 June.
“The AWARD’s objective is to encourage individuals and organizations to strengthen their resolve in their efforts for the protection of journalists and to focus the spotlight on those important efforts that are directed at respect for the public’s right to know and the right to life for journalists who were victims only because they chose to be witnesses, to be the eyes of the world in documenting human rights violations as well serious violations of humanitarian law in conflict and violent situations,” added Lempen.
The PEC jury award committee is composed of the PEC board, all are professional journalists, the majority of which are accredited to the UN in Geneva and they represent a dozen of nationalities.
The PEC itself is supported by 38 press associations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are especially active in conflict zones.
In accepting the PEC Award, MADA CEO Dr. Ghazi Hanania said that it is sad that the situation of the Palestinian media and media freedoms has seriously deteriorated over the past year.
“MADA monitored 257 violations of media freedoms. Of those 147 were committed by the Israeli occupying forces and settlers, the most serious one being that of the deliberate killing of Reuters cameramen Fadel Shana,” said Hanania.
Hanania added that the Palestinian security services in the West Bank and Gaza as well as Palestinian gunmen committed 110 violations during the same period. Ambassador De Alba, in his acceptance speech said that “we owe much to the work of journalists, cameramen, correspondents, photographers and other press staff, particularly those that work under dangerous or difficult conditions”.
“There is no doubt that journalists, as other groups have done it, should also benefit from this global effort and gain specific advancement of their rights and freedoms, particularly freedom of movement and of speech,” said Ambassador De Alba.
Ambassador De Alba, who was the first President of the Human Rights Council and is concluding his term in Geneva this summer, stressed that the protection of journalists is a key topic that deserves due consideration by all relevant parties.
According to the PEC monitoring system, the Ticking Clock, 45 journalists were killed since the beginning of this year.
91 journalists were killed in 2008, and 115 in 2007.
Since the beginning of 2009 Pakistan is the deadliest country for media work, where 6 journalists were killed.
Pakistan is followed by Mexico (5 killed), Iraq (5), Gaza (4) during the Israeli invasion, Somalia (4).
Russia follows where 3 journalists were killed, then Afghanistan (2), Columbia (2), Honduras (2), Nepal (2) Sri lanka (2), Venezuela (2).
One journalist was killed in Guatemala, India, Kenya, Madagascar, Indonesia and the Philippines.
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