UNITED NATIONS, United States (CMC) — Warning that impunity for crimes against journalists is rampant, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for immediate action to secure justice in cases where journalists have been attacked or killed.

On marking the International Day to end impunity for crimes against Journalists on Wednesday, Ban also called for concrete steps from all countries, including those in the Caribbean, to ensure that media professionals are guaranteed space to operate free from harassment and intimidation.

The UN said the International Day was “an opportunity to raise awareness about the 827 known killings of journalists over the past 10 years”.

Only eight per cent of perpetrators have been held accountable.

“I pay tribute to the courage of all media personnel who put their lives on the line for the sake of truth,” said Ban in his message. “I call for immediate action to secure justice in cases where journalists were attacked, harassed or killed”.

The Paris-based UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has launched a series of events  to tackle impunity and call for concerted state action.

“Impunity breeds impunity. This is injustice for all,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova .

Each year UNESCO releases a report with the latest facts and figures about the violence around the world towards journalists.

According to the report, 2015 was the second deadliest year since 2006. Further, 115 journalists were killed, including the 10 media workers murdered in the unprecedented attack against the French satirical weekly,  Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

In addition to killings, the UN said journalists are kidnapped, arbitrarily detained, tortured, intimidated and harassed, both on and offline.

The UN said freelance journalists are more vulnerable, “as they often work without adequate protections that large media outlets provide.”

While the overwhelming majority of journalists who are murdered are men, the UN said this should not obscure the fact that women journalists face additional risks: gender-based threats, harassment, intimidation, violence and rape.

The UN said the majority of killings (36.5 per cent) occur in the Arab States, largely due to ongoing conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

Latin America and the Caribbean are second, with 51 journalists killed between 2014 and 2015.

Asia and the Pacific account for 16 per cent of killings, said the UN, adding that 90 per cent worldwide are local journalists, “although 2014 saw a rise in the killing of foreign journalists”.

Ban called on all countries to recognize and commemorate the International Day, particularly in those countries where journalists are under greatest threat.

He said it is a measure that is essential to the 2030 UN Agenda’s  Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, on peace, justice and strong institutions.

The United Nations said it has adopted resolutions to promote journalists’ safety and end impunity, adding also that UNESCO is working with governments, non-governmental organizations, professional associations and journalists to strengthen judicial capacities and ensure safety mechanisms.

While “more governments are integrating international standards on the safety of journalists in national and media legislation,” Bokova said, “we must all do more”.