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The President of the UN General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft met with Christophe Deloire Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders and his colleague Delphine Halgand, the organisation’s US Director.
Mr. Deloire, a former TV journalist, informed the President of his organisation’s recommendation to the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative for the Safety of Journalists. He explained that this recommendation is the latest step in his organisation’s ongoing work on the protection of journalists since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1738. Since then, they have been involved in every step of the UN Plan of Action including the most recent UN Security Council Resolution 2222.
In the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, the United Nations system agreed in 2012 that there should be better coordination among UN agencies and bodies on the protection of journalists. Mr. Deloire said a lack of compliance from some member states was having an impact on the safety of journalists.