International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (November 2)

Journalists who expose corruption, crime and abuse of power too often pay with their lives — and in most cases, no one is ever punished. The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed every November 2, calls on governments to investigate these crimes and bring those responsible to justice.

Key facts
Date	November 2 every year
Proclaimed by	UN General Assembly resolution 68/163 (December 2013)
Lead agency	UNESCO
Why November 2	It honours two French journalists killed in Mali on November 2, 2013
Share of journalist killings left unresolved	Around 85% (UNESCO)
Hashtags	#EndImpunity #JournalismMatters

Why This Day Exists

On November 2, 2013, Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, journalists with Radio France Internationale, were abducted and killed near Kidal in northern Mali. Weeks later the UN General Assembly proclaimed November 2 as a day to fight impunity. UNESCO monitors every killing of a journalist and asks governments to report on the status of judicial investigations.

What “Impunity” Means

Impunity means that crimes go unpunished. When the killers of journalists are never caught, it sends a message that attacking the press is safe. That leads to self-censorship: reporters stop covering dangerous topics, and the public loses access to important information. Ending impunity protects not just journalists but everyone’s right to know.

Threats Journalists Face

Threat	Examples
Killings	Targeted murders, often of local reporters covering crime or corruption
Imprisonment	Detention on charges related to their reporting
Online harassment	Abuse campaigns, doxxing and threats — especially against women journalists
Surveillance	Spyware and monitoring of sources
Legal pressure	Costly lawsuits designed to silence reporting
Conflict zones	Danger while covering wars and unrest

International Protections

• UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (2012), coordinated by UNESCO.
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 — the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
• UN Security Council resolution 2222 (2015) on protecting journalists in armed conflict.
• World Press Freedom Day on May 3, when UNESCO awards the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.

How You Can Support Press Freedom

1. Support independent, fact-based journalism — subscribe or donate.
2. Share reports from press freedom groups and UNESCO with #EndImpunity.
3. Speak out against online harassment of reporters.
4. Learn to tell real news from misinformation.
5. Encourage schools to teach media literacy.

👉 Also November 2: All Souls’ Day

👉 Plan ahead: All November observances

Journalists Killed: The Global Picture

UNESCO records every killing of a journalist and publishes a regular report on the safety of journalists and the danger of impunity. Its figures show several clear patterns:

Pattern	What the data shows
Most victims are local reporters	The majority of journalists killed cover their own communities, not foreign conflicts
Many killings happen outside war zones	Reporters investigating crime, corruption and environmental issues are often targeted at home
Impunity is the norm	In most cases, no one is convicted
Women journalists face extra risks	Online harassment, threats and gender-based abuse are widespread

What Governments Can Do

• Investigate every attack on a journalist quickly and independently.
• Create national safety mechanisms and emergency protection for threatened reporters.
• Train police, prosecutors and judges on press freedom and the safety of journalists.
• Repeal laws that criminalise journalism, such as broad defamation or “false news” laws.
• Report to UNESCO on the status of judicial inquiries.

Press Freedom Days to Remember

Day	Date
World Press Freedom Day	May 3
International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists	November 2
International Day for Universal Access to Information	September 28

Ordinary readers matter too: subscribing to trusted outlets, sharing verified reporting and speaking up when journalists are attacked all help create a climate where reporters can work without fear.

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