PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) is calling on regional governments “to more vigorously pursue justice” on behalf of victims of human rights violations.

The ACM, which held its seventh Biennial general Assembly here on Saturday, approved a resolution in which it also emphasized “the importance of observing International Day to End Impunity on November 23 annually” and pledged to play a role in these observances.

Founded in Barbados in 2000, the ACM is an umbrella of media associations and journalist organisations in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and is affiliated to several international organisations that promote press freedom and free expression, including the International Press Institute (IPI), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Article 19.

In the resolution, the regional media group said that it is “convinced that conditions for impunity for violations of human rights in the Caribbean exist and have been exhibited in the past”.

It made reference to the “acts of violence and the victimising of Guyanese newspaper columnist and academic, Freddie Kissoon” in the 2012 Impunity report of the Canada-based International Freedom of Expression (IFEX) as well as “the failure to bring to justice those responsible for the killing of Guyanese television broadcaster and political activist.” Ronald Waddell on was killed on January 30, 2006.

The ACM also made reference to the “continued failure of authorities in Haiti to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of Haitian radio broadcaster, Jean Leopold Dominique on April 3, 2000” and the “failure in Suriname to secure justice on behalf of 15 opposition activists and journalists executed in December 1982”.

The resolution urged the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) governments to “more vigorously pursue justice on behalf of victims of human rights violations in all their manifestations” adding that the regional media umbrella group would continue to “play an important role in raising public awareness on detecting, reporting on and advocating for action on all instances of impunity for violations of human rights”.

The ACM also adopted another resolution in which it called on Caribbean governments “to extend due recognition to the mechanisms developed by the media and journalists’ professional organizations to promote industry self-regulation”.

The ACM said it was also calling on international organizations active in the field of press freedom and journalistic ethics to work with their counterparts throughout the Caribbean “in support of efforts to bring about free, independent and quality journalism in the region”.

During the meeting here on Saturday, the ACM endorsed and recognised the recently formed Caribbean Sports Journalist Association  and mandated  the next executive “to bring to the next general assembly, draft resolution seeking to give ex officio status to a representative of the organization and similar groups on the (ACM) executive”.