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UPDATE - UNITED NATIONS
21 June 2007
Denial of accreditation to journalists from non-member countries
contravenes internationally recognized agreements, says CPJ
SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York
**Updates IFEX alert of 17 May 2007**
(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 19 June 2007 CPJ letter to U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
Via facsimile: +1 212 963-2155
Dear Mr. Secretary-General:
The Committee to Protect Journalists is greatly concerned about the United
Nations' refusal to accredit journalists from states not recognized by the
U.N. General Assembly. In its rigid application of this policy, the
organization excludes these journalists from entering any U.N. facility
anywhere in the world and prevents them from performing their work.
Journalists from Taiwan are particularly affected by this policy and were
unfairly excluded from covering this year's World Health Organization
annual assembly on May 14, as they have been since 2004.
The U.N. media accreditation office, when questioned by CPJ, pointed to the
U.N. Web site by way of explanation. The Web site describes the
accreditation rules, which require a journalist to have a current passport
from a state recognized by the General Assembly. Thus, journalists from
Taiwan are denied accreditation because the United Nations does not
recognize Taiwan as a member.
The U.N. policy of accrediting only those journalists who hold passports
from U.N. member nations appears to contravene two internationally
recognized agreements. The International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and its predecessor, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
underpin the broad concept of human rights and specifically mention the
rights of journalists; they are part of the United Nations' fundamental
organizational ideals.
The second paragraph of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil
and Political Rights says that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of
expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally,
in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of
his choice."
As you know, the Covenant, which entered into force on March 23, 1976, is a
U.N. treaty based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, an advisory
declaration adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on December 10, 1948.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states the same
ideals in much the same language as the Covenant: "Everyone has the right
to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information
and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
The use of "everyone" in both statements is clearly meant to be universal,
and does not allow for discrimination against citizens of countries that
are not U.N. member nations. In excluding journalists from entering U.N.
facilities anywhere in the world on the basis of the passport they hold,
the United Nations is clearly interfering with the ability to "to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless
of frontiers."
Even if their home country is not a member of the United Nations,
journalists should be allowed equal access to U.N. facilities and
officials. We ask that you change the policy that now denies Taiwanese
journalists, and all other journalists who might fall into their category,
the right to cover global events.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We await your reply.
Sincerely,
Joel Simon
Executive Director
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Send similar appeals to:
Mr. Ban Ki-moon
Secretary-General
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017 USA
Fax: +1 212 963 2155
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
For further information, contact Asia Program Coordinator Bob Dietz or Asia
Program Senior Researcher Kristin Jones at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York,
NY 10001, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail:
asiaprogram@cpj.org, bdietz@cpj.org, Internet: http://www.cpj.org/
The information contained in this update is the sole responsibility of CPJ.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit CPJ.
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