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Statement by Permanent Representative of Lithuania H.E. Ambassador Rytis Paulauskas 20th Session of the Human Rights Council Geneva, 19 June, 2012 Clustered ID with the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Thank you, Madam President, Our delegation expresses its appreciation to the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression Mr. Frank La Rue and the Special Rapporteur on extra- judiciary, summary or arbitrary executions, Mr. Christof Heyns for their reports both focusing on the protection of journalists. The safety of journalists was a priority for Lithuania while chairing the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in 2011. And it will remain our priority within the UN and other multilateral formats too. We believe that by emphasizing the risks journalists take on a daily basis these reports will allow states and civil societies to further elaborate on the measures that ought to be undertaken to promote and to ensure freedom of expression.

Journalists around the world are still facing extensive impediments in the legitimate pursuit of their profession on behalf of the society. And we all acknowledge the need to secure the work and physical safety of journalists as well as the necessity to tackle the impunity of the perpetrators of these violations.

What we should be aiming is the clear and balanced guidance on the measures to be taken and the ways how those tools should be implemented worldwide in order to reduce hinders for the free media and with that to enhance the use of the freedom of expression.

We fully concur with the position reflected in the report of Mr. Frank La Rue on the state’s responsibility to protect journalists from any kind of violence same as from illegal and inadequate use of state power. Therefore enforcing the measures towards ensuring justice is the cornerstone to ending the violence and the intimidation used against journalists.

Lithuania also joins the Special Rapporteur’s Frank La Rue support for the efforts to adopt a United Nations Joint Plan of Action on the Protection of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. It is one of the opportunities for the international community to take certain actions to strengthen the safety of journalists that should not be omitted.

Finally, we share the Special Rapporteur’s Christof Heyns view that regional human rights initiatives can play an important role in protecting the lives of journalists. In this regard, we would be interested to hear your views on coordination and cooperation among different international and regional actors as well as consolidation of existing standarts and quidelines. In this context we would like to hightligt the „OSCE Safety of Journalists Guidebook“ which was jointly developed and presented to the international community by the Minister Audronius Ažubalis Lithuanian Chairman in Office, OSCE’s Representative of Freedom of Media Dunja Mijatovic and William Horsley representing the Association of European Journalists at the Council of Europe. We believe that this presents practical steps to ensure protection of journalists and developing a media-friendly environment and could be replicated in the broader framework such as UN.

Thank you.