[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 62 (Tuesday, April 28, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S2480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 152--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

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

                              S. Res. 152

       Whereas Article 19 of the United Nations Universal 
     Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in Paris, France on 
     December 10, 1948, states that ``[e]veryone 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, evaluate freedom of the press around the world, defend 
     against attacks on the independence of the media, and 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 (United Nations General 
     Assembly Resolution 163 (2013)) on the safety of journalists 
     and the issue of impunity, that unequivocally condemns, in 
     both conflict and nonconflict situations, all attacks on and 
     violence against journalists and media workers, including 
     torture, extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, 
     arbitrary detention, and intimidation and harassment;
       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 Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act of 2009 
     (22 U.S.C. 2151 note; Public Law 111-166), which was passed 
     by unanimous consent in the Senate and signed into law by 
     President Barack Obama in 2010, expanded the annual Human 
     Rights Reports of the Department of State to include the 
     examination of freedom of the press;
       Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, in 2014, 
     freedom of the press suffered a ``drastic decline'' across 
     all continents;
       Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, in 2014, 
     69 journalists and 19 citizen-journalists were killed in 
     connection with the collection and dissemination of news and 
     information;
       Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 
     in 2014, the 3 deadliest countries for journalists on 
     assignment were Syria, Ukraine, and Iraq;
       Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 
     more than 40 percent of the journalists killed in 2014 had 
     been targeted for murder and 31 percent of journalists 
     murdered had reported receiving threats;
       Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 
     650 journalists were killed between 1992 and April 2015 and 
     the perpetrators have not been punished;
       Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 
     the 5 countries with the highest number of unpunished 
     journalist murders between 2004 and 2014 are Iraq, Somalia, 
     the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Syria;
       Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, in 2014, 
     853 journalists and 122 citizen-journalists were arrested;
       Whereas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 
     as of December 1, 2014, 221 journalists worldwide were in 
     prison;
       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, in 2014, 
     the 5 countries with the highest number of journalists 
     threatened or attacked were Ukraine, Venezuela, Turkey, 
     Libya, and China;
       Whereas, according to the 2015 World Press Freedom Index of 
     Reporters Without Borders, Eritrea, North Korea, 
     Turkmenistan, Syria, and China were the countries ranked 
     lowest with respect to ``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 Reporters Without Borders, the 
     Government of the Russian Federation continued to pressure 
     the media to control independent news outlets to an extent 
     that may lead to the termination of the outlets;
       Whereas Freedom House has cited a deteriorating environment 
     for Internet freedom around the world and in 2014 ranked 
     Iran, Syria, China, Cuba, and Ethiopia as the countries 
     having the worst obstacles to access, limits on content, and 
     violations of user rights among countries and territories 
     rated by Freedom House as ``Not Free'' ;
       Whereas freedom of the press is a key component of 
     democratic governance, activism in 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) expresses concern about the threats to freedom of the 
     press and expression around the world following World Press 
     Freedom Day on May 3, 2015;
       (2) commends journalists and media workers around the world 
     for their essential role in promoting government 
     accountability, defending democratic activity, and 
     strengthening civil society, despite threats to their safety;
       (3) pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives 
     carrying out their work;
       (4) calls on governments abroad to implement United Nations 
     General Assembly Resolution 163 (2013);
       (5) condemns all actions around the world that suppress 
     freedom of the press, including: brutal murders of 
     journalists by the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria, 
     violent attacks against media outlets such as the French 
     satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and the kidnappings of 
     journalists and media workers by pro-Russian militant groups 
     in eastern Ukraine;
       (6) reaffirms the centrality of freedom of the press to 
     efforts of 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 conduct transparent 
     investigations and adjudications of the perpetrators of 
     attacks against journalists; and
       (C) to highlight the issue of threats against freedom of 
     the press year round.

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