International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI) 2025 | 03 Nov 2025
Why in News?
On 2 November 2025, the annual International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists is being observed under the auspices of the UNESCO with a special focus on “AI-facilitated Gender-Based Violence against Women Journalists.” The campaign this year draws attention to how artificial intelligence enables new forms of harassment and silencing of women in media.
Key Points
- The Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2013 in response to the killing of French journalists Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon in Mali.
- UNESCO’s Campaign: The organisation is rolling out its “CTRL + ALT + MUTE” awareness initiative to highlight vulnerabilities faced by women journalists and to mobilise action against impunity and digital violence.
- 2025 Theme: The focus on AI-enabled gender violence realises the fact that online abuse — including deepfakes, doxxing, and orchestrated trolling has become a significant threat to women journalists’ safety and freedom.
- Global Data: Between 2006 and 2024, more than 1,700 journalists were killed globally; roughly nine out of ten such killings have not resulted in justice.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
- Founded: 1945 (Constitution came into force in 1946)
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Mandate: To promote international cooperation in education, the sciences, culture, and communication in order to foster peace, sustainable development, and human rights worldwide.
- Key Functions
- Sets global norms and standards in its fields of expertise.
- Develops tools and programmes for international cooperation.
- Produces knowledge and supports evidence-based policymaking for member states.
- Maintains networks of sites and institutions, such as World Heritage Sites, Biosphere Reserves, and Creative Cities.