The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has raised concerns over the increasing failure to prosecute those responsible for killing journalists, revealing that six out of every seven cases worldwide go unpunished.

In its latest report on the safety of journalists and the danger of impunity, UNESCO said the global impunity rate rose to 86 per cent in 2024 and 2025, compared with 85 per cent in the preceding two-year period.

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The report, released on Monday, November 2, 2026, marks the first increase in the rate since UNESCO began monitoring the issue in 2012.

It also revealed that 189 journalists were killed globally during the period, representing a 20 per cent increase from the previous biennium.

Of these, 127 lost their lives in conflict zones.

UNESCO Director-General, Khaled El-Enany, said journalists covering wars and other dangerous situations continued to face deadly risks, while those responsible for their deaths were often not held accountable.

The report identified the increasing use of drones as an emerging threat to journalists working in conflict areas.

According to the organisation, drone strikes killed 50 journalists during the 2024–2025 period, representing 40 per cent of all journalists killed in conflict zones.

It further documented seven incidents in which multiple journalists were killed in single attacks, including strikes on media workplaces and temporary reporting centres.

Fifteen journalists were reportedly killed while wearing press vests or travelling in vehicles clearly marked with the word ‘Press’.

El-Enany called for respect for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2222, adopted unanimously in 2015, which provides for the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel as civilians during armed conflicts.

The report recorded 97 verified journalist killings in the Arab States, the highest among the regions examined. Latin America and the Caribbean followed with 37 cases, while the Asia-Pacific region recorded 34.

Central and Eastern Europe recorded 14 cases, Africa had six, while Western Europe and North America recorded one.

The State of Palestine had the highest number of journalist killings in both years, with 30 cases in 2024 and 32 in 2025.

Despite the increase in global impunity, UNESCO noted improvements in countries not affected by armed conflict.

The impunity rate in non-conflict countries declined from 94 per cent in 2012 to 77 per cent in 2026.

The number of journalists killed in non-conflict zones also stood at 85, the lowest figure in 18 years.

UNESCO said the progress demonstrated that government investment in investigations, prosecutions and journalist protection could help reduce impunity.

The organisation also expressed concern about the particular risks facing women journalists, both in conflict zones and online.

Of the 14 women journalists killed in 2024 and 2025, 13 were in countries experiencing armed conflict.

A 2025 study by UN Women and the International Center for Journalists, cited in the report, found that 75 per cent of women journalists had experienced online or offline abuse and harassment.

More than 40 per cent also reported offline violence linked to online attacks, compared with 20 per cent in a 2020 UNESCO survey.

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The report is published every two years to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, observed annually on November 2.