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<p>The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists
wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity
for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this
issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on
2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference
on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.</p><p>We
support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on
Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good
governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads
of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office
have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on
12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member
states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth
Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst
member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their
official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat
on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage
the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus
towards adoption of the principles.</p>
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