Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps with his international counterparts to negotiate a UN convention on the protection of journalists.

The UK already works through existing UN conventions and mechanisms which require states to uphold rights that address the key risks faced by journalists. The UK also works through the Media Freedom Coalition to champion the protection of journalists. In 2022 the UK renewed our commitment to the UN Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists, and we support the Council of Europe's Journalism Matters campaign for the safety of journalists launched in 2023. The UK has contributed £2.8 million to the UNESCO Global Media Defence Fund in the last 4 years.