Ministry of Information and Red Cross continue coordination to enhance journalists’ safety in conflict zones

Minister of Information, lawyer Dr. Paul Morcos, met in his office with a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross headed by Agnès Dhour, in the presence of a number of mission members and the minister’s adviser, lawyer Mohammad Ezzeddine, to discuss ways to continue joint cooperation aimed at strengthening the protection of journalists during armed conflicts.

The meeting comes as part of follow-up to previous meetings between the two sides and to continue discussions on practical mechanisms to ensure the safety of media professionals while covering wars, in addition to improving the speed of response in emergency situations.

The meeting also addressed the issue of detainees, alongside discussing ways to strengthen training programs for journalists in relation to professional safety, self-protection, and dealing with hazardous environments during field coverage.

Following the meeting, Minister Morcos explained that the discussions focused on establishing a clear mechanism to enhance the protection of journalists and raise response readiness in exceptional circumstances, pointing to the importance of developing training tools and coordination among the various concerned parties.

The talks also touched on continuing joint awareness campaigns between the Ministry of Information and the International Committee of the Red Cross through media messages and instructional videos broadcast via media outlets and published in public places to raise awareness of the risks of journalistic work in conflict zones.

Morcos stressed that the Ministry of Information is handling the issue of journalists’ protection from a comprehensive professional standpoint and without any discrimination, with a focus on ensuring their physical safety and enhancing the speed of response by specialized teams when needed.