UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 2, 2026 — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for justice for journalists who are killed for their work, as the world marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on Monday.
"Across the world, journalists continue to pay an outrageous price for telling the truth," Guterres said in his message for the day, released by the UN on Oct. 29.
"Over the past year, at least 34 journalists paid the ultimate price. Six of every seven such killings go unpunished. In conflict settings, the rate of impunity is close to 100 per cent," he said.
Guterres said that since the UN adopted its Plan of Action on the safety of journalists in 2012, the impunity rate in countries not in conflict has dropped "from 94 per cent to 77 per cent."
"When journalists are targeted and their reporting is extinguished, it makes victims of us all," he said. He repeated that line on X Sunday night, adding, "we demand justice."
UNESCO, the UN's education, science and culture agency, posted Monday that its latest report puts the global impunity rate at 86% in 2026, up one percentage point and interrupting a long decline from 95% in 2012. UNESCO said the rise is largely due to escalating conflicts.
The observance is held each year on Nov. 2.
Sources: UN press release SG/SM/23351; UN observance page; António Guterres on X; UNESCO on X.
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