An international conference on "Protection of Journalists in Armed Conflicts" is being held in Doha, the capital of Qatar, co-organized by the country's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and the Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties and Human Rights.
Our country is represented at the conference by Umud Mirzayev, president of the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF).
The international conference began with a minute of silence in memory of journalists who lost their lives while carrying out their professional duties in various conflict zones around the world.
Speaking at the event, Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar, and Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal bin Khalifa Al Thani, Director General of Al Jazeera Media Network, expressed regret over the deaths of journalists worldwide and stated that the conference was organized in response to the deliberate targeting of media workers. It was emphasized that the killing of journalists is not only a violation of the right to life but also a restriction on people's right to access information and truth. The international journalistic community and human rights defenders were also called upon to unite to protect journalists on the front lines. It was noted that this would help them operate comfortably.
The two-day conference will explore ways to strengthen international protection mechanisms and the adoption of a proposal for the establishment of international fact-finding committees to investigate violations against journalists in armed conflicts. Seven plenary sessions will be held within the framework of the event, and a number of issues will be discussed.
It should be noted that the international conference on the protection of journalists in armed conflicts is organized based on the Universal Declaration on the Protection of Journalists - the Doha Declaration - adopted within the framework of the International Press Institute's (IPI) World Congress held in Doha in March 2016, hosted by Al Jazeera Media Network. The Declaration has been approved by the UN Human Rights Council and signed by more than 70 media organizations and over 1500 journalists.