 Human Rights Division has called on journalists to strengthen human rights reporting, promote accountability and protect the dignity of survivors through ethical and responsible journalism.){kind=link}
By Ginaba Lino
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Human Rights Division has called on journalists to strengthen human rights reporting, promote accountability and protect the dignity of survivors through ethical and responsible journalism.
The call was made during a one-day strategic engagement with journalists in South Sudan aimed at strengthening collaboration between the media and human rights actors in documenting and reporting violations.
Senior Women’s Protection Adviser at the Human Rights Division’s Women’s Protection Advisory Unit, Sheila B. Keetharuth, emphasized the importance of responsible reporting, particularly on conflict-related sexual violence and the protection of survivors.
Keetharuth said the engagement addressed accountability, effective communication of human rights messages and the need to uphold fundamental rights, including concerns surrounding trial by the media.
She highlighted the importance of ensuring that survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, including women, girls, boys and men, are reported on with dignity, respect and sensitivity.
“We also talked about how to report on conflict-related sexual violence to cause no harm and to ensure that survivors, be it women, girls, boys, and men, keep their dignity and are treated with the respect they deserve,” Keetharuth said.
She welcomed the engagement as an opportunity to establish stronger collaboration with journalists, adding that the ongoing 45-day human rights campaign had created an opening for continued discussions and cooperation.
Keetharuth also expressed interest in further discussions on the portrayal of survivors in media coverage to strengthen ethical reporting practices.
Meanwhile, Director of the UNMISS Human Rights Division and Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in South Sudan, Dr. Musa Yerro Gassama, called for sustained collaboration between journalists and human rights institutions, emphasizing that the engagement should translate into practical action.
Gassama thanked journalists for sharing their professional experiences, recommendations and concerns, saying the Division would review their contributions to inform future collaboration.
He said the engagement was not merely intended to raise awareness but to encourage journalists to actively document and report human rights violations.
“Human rights violations thrive in silence,” Gassama said, emphasizing the media’s responsibility to expose violations and contribute to accountability.
He added that increased visibility of human rights violations creates opportunities for addressing challenges and promoting accountability.
“Accountability begins with visibility. The more we get it out there, the more we have the opportunity to deal with the challenges we are facing,” Gassama said.
The engagement forms part of the 45-day human rights campaign, which seeks to strengthen awareness, advocacy and accountability for human rights violations in South Sudan.