PANEL DISCUSSION ON FIELD SECURITY TO MARK INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH DETAINED STAFF MEMBERS, 25 MARCH
| Press Release NOTE 5721 |
Note No. 5721
21 March 2002
Note to Correspondents
PANEL DISCUSSION ON FIELD SECURITY TO MARK INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY
WITH DETAINED STAFF MEMBERS, 25 MARCH
The International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members will be observed on Monday, 25 March, with a panel discussion from 1:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Conference Room 3 at United Nations Headquarters.
The Day marks the abduction by armed men, on 25 March 1985 in Beirut, of Alec Collett, on assignment for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The fate of Mr. Collett, a former journalist and Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Ghana, has never been determined. The observance intends to draw attention to the United Nations staff members who over the years have been arrested, detained, abducted or "disappeared" while in the service of the Organization.
Panellists include Azim Mian, President of the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA), of which Mr. Collett is Honorary President; Joel Simon, Deputy Director, Committee to Protect Journalists; Marcus Brauchli, National Editor, The Wall Street Journal; Joshua Friedman, Newsday, Pulitzer Prize winner in international reporting; and Raghida Dergham, Al-Hayat. Shashi Tharoor, Interim Head, United Nations Department of Public Information, will moderate.
The panel will discuss security hazards in the field and possible remedies. It will also seek to increase media awareness and coverage of the problem. Last year alone, 37 individuals were killed because of their work as journalists. The same year, several United Nations staff members -— peacekeepers as well as civilians —- died as a result of “malicious acts” such as murder, military action, rockets and landmines.
The event is organized by the Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service and the United Nations Staff Union.
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