Republic of Korea: Workshop explores role of IHL in protecting journalists in conflict zones
Communication colleagues from humanitarian organizations and journalists from leading media houses including JoongAng Ilbo, The Seoul Shinmun and Dong-A Ilbo came together for a first-of-its kind-workshop organized by the ICRC, entitled “International Humanitarian Law and Protection of Journalists”.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung BAE
Georgios Georgantas, the head of the ICRC mission in Seoul, spoke about the importance of such a workshop. “Media professionals reporting on armed conflicts or other situations of violence continue to pay a steep price for the risks associated with their work. Yet, by highlighting or reporting on conflicts and voicing victims’ concerns, journalists can contribute to shaping the opinions of the general public and decision-makers on the humanitarian consequences of armed conflicts,” he said in his opening remarks.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung Bae
Georgantas also addressed questions about how international humanitarian law can protect journalists working in the midst of conflict or other violence.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung BAE
Valery Mbaoh Nana, the head of communication of the ICRC regional delegation in Beijing, introduced the ICRC hotline set up to help journalists in times of crises. He also shared instances when ICRC could assist in the release of journalists held hostage by armed groups.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung BAE
The ICRC’s legal advisor, Jun-Ki Lee, gave a presentation explaining the different categories of conflict such as international armed conflict and non-international armed conflict and how humanitarian law applies to journalists covering these.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung BAE
Byung Joon KOH, journalist at Yonhap News, raised a question about the scope of IHL. Participants also discussed the application as well as limitation of humanitarian while reporting in hostile environment.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung BAE
Intaek Chae of JoongAng Ilbo shared his experience of reporting on conflict and a recent trip to Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh where he followed the ICRC team to cover its humanitarian activities for people who have fled violence in Myanmar.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung BAE
The “International Humanitarian Law and Protection of Journalists” workshop organized by the ICRC, which was the first-of-its-kind, was attended by 10 participants.CC BY-NC-ND / ICRC / Seonyoung BAE
Journalists and media professionals play a crucial role in highlighting the humanitarian consequences of armed conflict. Though inevitably exposed to dangers as they report from conflict zones, the greatest threat journalists face is deliberate acts of violence against them with many being attacked and even killed while on duty. Exploring the scope of international humanitarian law (IHL) and how it can protect journalists working in the midst of hostilities is therefore an important aspect of helping them do their jobs efficiently and with safety.
To discuss these concerns, journalists from leading media houses and communication colleagues from humanitarian organizations in the Republic of Korea came together for a workshop organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Entitled "International Humanitarian Law and Protection of Journalists", the first-of-its-kind workshop was held on 1 November, in Seoul.