GFMD joins civil society call for G7 to protect and evacuate Afghan journalists

Ahead of the G7 summit on the situation in Afghanistan, GFMD has joined the undersigned organisations to call on G7 countries to make a clear and explicit commitment to journalists and media workers as an urgent and immediate priority, ensuring their protection and evacuating them and their families.

We ask that G7 members:

• Make an explicit commitment to evacuate all journalists, media workers and media advocates at risk, and their families
• Ease visa restrictions for all Afghan journalists, media workers, media advocates and their families seeking asylum
• Simplify and secure the process for visa application, and collaborate with third countries when possible
• Provide safe passage to and at the airport and other routes
• Remain in Kabul in order to secure the airport and the possibility to evacuate beyond the August 31 deadline
• Create an emergency fund for Afghan journalists and media workers
• Provide pathways for cash to enter in the country
• Repurpose development budget lines to address the emergency situation
• Coordinate efforts within the United Nations system for immediate support
• At the 26 August special session of the Human Rights Council, call for the establishment of an independent monitoring and investigative mechanism that is adequately staffed and resourced.

A full list of recommendations and annex to the call can be found here.

Signed by:

• ACOS Alliance
• ARTICLE 19
• Association of European Journalists (AEJ)
• Association for International Broadcasting
• Association of Freelance Journalists (Kenya)
• Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma
• Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)
• Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM)
• Committee to Protect Journalists
• Dart Centre Asia Pacific
• Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma
• DW Akademie, Deutsche Welle
• English PEN
• Ethnovision
• European Broadcasting Union
• European Centre for Press Media Freedom
• European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
• Freedom House
• Free Press Unlimited
• The Frontline Club
• The Frontline Freelance Register
• Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
• The GroundTruth Project
• Guardian News and Media
• IFEX
• International Center for Journalists (ICFJ)
• International Media Support
• International News Safety Institute (INSI)
• International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)
• International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
• International Press Institute (IPI)
• Internews
• James W. Foley Legacy Foundation
• Maharat Foundation
• Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)
• Overseas Press Club of America
• Overseas Press Club Foundation
• Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)
• PEN America
• PEN Canada
• PEN Germany
• PEN Japan
• PEN International
• Public Media Alliance
• Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
• Rory Peck Trust
• Samir Kassir Foundation
• The Signals Network
• Storyhunter
• VII Agency
• VII Foundation
• Women Photograph
• World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)