The World Assembly,
Highlighting the dangerous conditions faced by those sent to an active warzone to gather information for journalism,
Emphasising that wartime reporting is necessary to ensure that belligerents in wars face due scrutiny, helping to prevent war crimes and other atrocities in the field of war,
Identifying an ominous silence of World Assembly law on this important topic since various past resolutions attempting to address this matter were repealed,
Concerned that member nations or entities therein may, as a result, attempt to unduly harm wartime reporters in order to suppress their necessary activities,
Enacts as follows _
- So be it as follows within this resolution _
- “Wartime reporting” refers to the gathering of information conducted from a warzone for the purpose of said information’s publication as journalism; as well as the provision of technical assistance in the same.
- A “warzone” is an area of armed conflict involving at least one military force; as well as the region immediately surrounding that area.
- The status of a non-combatant, along with all rights, protections, and responsibilities that such status entails, must be granted to any individual acting as a wartime reporter. Accordingly, the act of knowingly targeting a wartime reporter with violence shall be considered a war crime.
- All member nations must refrain from discriminating or retaliating against any individual for performing or facilitating wartime reporting, or attempting the same; including by
- penalising or prosecuting persons for performing or facilitating wartime reporting;
- deporting or denying entry to individuals due to their status as wartime reporters, or otherwise discriminating against wartime reporters in restrictions on freedom of travel; or
- denying equality under the law to wartime reporters.
- This resolution does not protect any wartime reporter who, in the conflict which they are reporting from, willfully attempts to
- use or direct the use of force, outside of allowable self-defense, to actively support a belligerent in said conflict;
- transport supplies for a belligerent in said conflict; or
- participate in the clandestine collection or reporting of classified information for the purpose of obtaining a strategic advantage for one entity over another.
- Should a provision of this resolution contradict some past World Assembly resolution still in force, that previous resolution takes precedence. This resolution should not be interpreted as addressing the eventual broadcasting or publication of information collected by wartime reporting.