[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 207 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 207

 Recognizing threats to freedom of the press and expression around the 
world and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority in efforts of 
 the United States Government to promote democracy and good governance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 22, 2015

    Mr. Casey (for himself, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing threats to freedom of the press and expression around the 
world and reaffirming freedom of the press as a priority in efforts of 
 the United States Government to promote democracy and good governance.

Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 
        adopted at Paris December 10, 1948, states that ``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'';
Whereas, in 1993, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3 of each 
        year as ``World Press Freedom Day'' to celebrate the fundamental 
        principles of freedom of the press, to evaluate freedom of the press 
        around the world, to defend the media from attacks on its independence, 
        and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the 
        exercise of their profession;
Whereas, on December 18, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a 
        resolution (A/RES/68/163) on the safety of journalists and the issue of 
        impunity, which unequivocally condemns all attacks and violence against 
        journalists and media workers, including torture, extrajudicial 
        killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and intimidation 
        and harassment in both conflict and non-conflict situations;
Whereas 2015 is the 22nd anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, which focuses 
        on the theme ``Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender 
        Equality, and Media Safety in the Digital Age'';
Whereas the 2015 World Press Freedom prize was awarded to Syrian journalist and 
        human rights activist Mazen Darwish, who remains imprisoned by the Assad 
        regime;
Whereas the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-166; 
        22 U.S.C. 2151 note), which was passed by unanimous consent in the 
        Senate and signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010, expanded 
        the examination of freedom of the press around the world in the annual 
        human rights report of the Department of State;
Whereas, according to Freedom House, only approximately 14 percent of the 
        world's inhabitants--or one in seven people--live in countries with a 
        press ranked as ``Free'' by Freedom House;
Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, 69 journalists and 19 citizen 
        journalists were killed in 2014 in connection with their collection and 
        dissemination of news and information;
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the 3 deadliest 
        countries for journalists on assignment in 2014 were Syria, Ukraine, and 
        Iraq;
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more than 40 percent 
        of the journalists killed in 2014 were targeted for murder and 31 
        percent of journalists murdered reported receiving threats first;
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 650 journalists have 
        been killed between 1992 and April 2015 without the perpetrators of such 
        crimes facing punishment;
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the 5 countries with 
        the highest number of journalist murders that go unpunished, measured 
        from 2004 to 2014, are Iraq, Somalia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and 
        Syria;
Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, 853 journalists and 122 citizen 
        journalists were arrested in 2014;
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 221 journalists 
        worldwide were in prison as of December 1, 2014;
Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, the 5 countries with the 
        highest number of journalists in prison as of December 8, 2014, were 
        China, Eritrea, Iran, Egypt, and Syria;
Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders' 2015 World Press Freedom Index, 
        Eritrea, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Syria, and China ranked lowest 
        according to a range of criteria that include ``media pluralism and 
        independence, respect for the safety and freedom of journalists, and the 
        legislative, institutional and infrastructural environment in which the 
        media operate'';
Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2014 Syria was 
        the world's deadliest country for journalists for the third year in a 
        row;
Whereas, according to the International Federation of Journalists, more than 40 
        journalists and media staff have been killed since January 2015;
Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, the Government of the Russian 
        Federation continued to intensify its pressure on the media to bring 
        independent news outlets under control or be throttled out of existence;
Whereas Freedom House has cited a deteriorating environment for Internet freedom 
        around the world and ranked Iran, Syria, China, Cuba, and Ethiopia as 
        ``Not Free'' and having the worst obstacles to access, limits on 
        content, and violations of user rights among the 65 countries and 
        territories rated by Freedom House in 2014;
Whereas freedom of the press is absolutely essential to the creation and 
        maintenance of free and open societies and a key component of democratic 
        governance, the activism of civil society, and socioeconomic 
        development; and
Whereas freedom of the press enhances public accountability, transparency, and 
        participation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commemorates World Press Freedom Day by commending 
        journalists like Mazen Darwish and others around the world for 
        the vital role they play in supporting open and democratic 
        societies, promoting government accountability, and 
        strengthening civil society;
            (2) expresses concern about the threats to freedom of the 
        press and expression around the world, and pays tribute to 
        journalists who have lost their lives carrying out their work;
            (3) pays tribute to the journalists who have lost their 
        lives carrying out their work;
            (4) calls on governments abroad to implement United Nations 
        General Assembly Resolution (A/RES/68/163), by thoroughly 
        investigating and seeking to resolve outstanding cases of 
        violence against journalists, including murders and 
        kidnappings, while ensuring the protection of witnesses;
            (5) condemns all actions around the world that suppress 
        freedom of the press, including: the brutal murders of 
        journalists by the terrorist group ISIS, violent attacks 
        against media outlets like the French satirical magazine 
        Charlie Hebdo, and kidnappings of journalists and media workers 
        in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russian militant groups;
            (6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the press to 
        efforts by the United States Government to support democracy, 
        mitigate conflict, and promote good governance domestically and 
        around the world; and
            (7) calls on the President and the Secretary of State--
                    (A) to improve the means by which the United States 
                Government rapidly identifies, publicizes, and responds 
                to threats against freedom of the press around the 
                world;
                    (B) to urge foreign governments to transparently 
                investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of 
                attacks against journalists; and
                    (C) to highlight the issue of threats against 
                freedom of the press year-round.
                                 <all>