We can only protect human rights if we know about human rights violations. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted 76 years ago today. In order to breathe life into it, cameras and microphones must be directed at where human rights violations are taking place.

Freedom of the press is not only a prerequisite but also a barometer of respect for human rights. The more human rights come under pressure around the world, the more important freedom of the press and the protection of those it defends becomes. Worldwide, 56 journalists and media professionals have already been killed this year, while 548 individuals are in prison. By far the most of these journalists have been killed in the Palestinian territories because the Gaza Strip is the most deadly place on Earth for journalists at the moment. It cannot be that journalists pay for their essential work with their lives.

Back on 14 October 2022, Foreign Minister Baerbock together with Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Roth launched the Hannah Arendt Initiative, a programme protecting and supporting journalists around the world whose vital work places them at risk. After all, as Hannah Arendt said: “The moment we no longer have a free press, anything can happen.” Freedom of the press is a key pillar of the liberal democratic order. Without informed decisions, there is no democracy. The protection of human rights defenders who champion freedom of the press and information is therefore of the utmost importance.

Journalists such as the Palestinian Wael al‑Dahdouh and the Ukrainian Nataliya Gumenyuk, who were among those conferred this year’s Press Freedom Awards by Reporters Without Borders, deserve our greatest respect. Especially in armed conflicts, human rights defenders like them must be better protected.