At the World Congress of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), held in Paris from 4 to 7 May as part of the organisation’s centenary celebrations, a resolution submitted by the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS) was adopted today. The resolution warns of the escalation of attacks on journalists, media capture and the further deterioration of media freedoms in Serbia. This year’s Congress brings together just under 300 representatives of journalists’ unions and associations from around the world and is being held in the year in which the IFJ marks 100 years of its existence.
The resolution, titled “On the escalation of attacks, media capture and the deterioration of media freedoms in Serbia”, submitted by NUNS to the Congress, states that attacks, threats and pressure against journalists and media workers in Serbia have continued to increase, and that verbal attacks by senior state officials and government representatives have become systematic.
Addressing Congress delegates on behalf of NUNS, General Secretary Tamara Filipović Stevanović called on participants to support the resolution, stressing that the situation in Serbia is alarming and that the adoption of this document sends an important message of international solidarity with independent journalism. In her address, she emphasised that attacks and threats against journalists, smear campaigns coming from public officials, police passivity and abuses, labour-related pressure, SLAPP lawsuits and threats to media pluralism are creating an atmosphere of fear and impunity.
In the adopted resolution, the IFJ strongly condemned the growing attacks, threats and smear campaigns against journalists and media outlets in Serbia, as well as the increasing involvement or passivity of state institutions that contribute to a climate of fear and impunity. At the same time, the Serbian authorities were urged to urgently, independently and effectively investigate all attacks and threats against journalists and media outlets, and to ensure that the police protect journalists while they are carrying out their work.
The resolution also calls on the Government of Serbia to end smear campaigns and verbal attacks by public officials against journalists, to publicly condemn hate speech and threats, and to ensure that state-owned companies are not used as instruments of political and economic pressure against independent media. The European Union, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the United Nations and other international partners are called upon to use all available mechanisms to insist that Serbia fulfil its obligations in the areas of media freedom, journalists’ safety, labour rights and media pluralism.
This year’s Congress carries additional significance as it is also the IFJ’s election congress. Elections for the presidential and vice-presidential positions have been held so far. Zuliana Lainez from Peru was elected President, while Jennifer Moreau from Canada and Zied Dabbar from Tunisia were elected Vice-Presidents, and Nasser Abu Bakr from Palestine was elected Senior Vice-President. Elections for the Executive Committee are ongoing.
The adoption of this resolution therefore represents an important political signal not only in the year of the organisation’s centenary, but also at a time when its new leadership and bodies for the 2026–2029 mandate are being elected. In this way, the issue of journalists’ safety and media freedoms in Serbia has been placed among the topics that will remain high on the agenda of the world’s largest organisation of journalists in the coming period.
The full text of the resolution can be downloaded here.
Note: The text of the resolution was submitted to the IFJ in early December last year, which was the deadline for submitting documents for this year’s Congress.
