,,iii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #aeb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april    
#bh1 #bjae ,mr4 ,casey 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,rubio7 submitted the following    
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,recognizing threats to   
freedom of the press and expression     
around the world and reaffirming freedom
 of the press as a priority in efforts  
of the ,united ,states ,government to   
promote democracy and good governance4  
,whereas ,article #ai of the ,united    
,nations ,universal ,declaration of     
,human ,rights1 adopted in ,paris1      
,france1 on ,december #aj1 #aidh1 states
 that everyone has the right to freedom 
of opinion and expression2 this right   
includes freedom to hold opinions       
without interference and to seek1       
receive and impart information and ideas
 through any media and regardless of    
frontiers42 ,whereas in #aiic1 the      
,united ,nations ,general ,assembly     

proclaimed ,may #c of each year as      
,world ,press ,freedom ,day to celebrate
 the fundamental principles of freedom  
of the press1 evaluate freedom of the   
press around the world1 defend against  
attacks on the independence of the      
media1 and pay tribute to journalists   
who have lost their lives in the        
exercise of their profession2 ,whereas1 
on ,december #ah1 #bjac1 the ,united    
,nations ,general ,assembly adopted a   
resolution 7,united ,nations ,general   
,assembly ,resolution #afc 7#bjac77 on  
the safety of journalists and the issue 
of impunity1 that unequivocally         
condemns1 in both conflict and          
nonconflict situations1 all attacks on  
and violence against journalists and    
media workers1 including torture1       
extrajudicial killing1 enforced         
disappearance1 arbitrary detention1 and 
intimidation and harassment2 ,whereas   
#bjae is the #bbnd anniversary of ,world
 ,press ,freedom ,day1 which focuses on 
the theme ,let ,journalism ,thrive6     

,towards ,better ,reporting1 ,gender    
,equality1 and ,media ,safety in the    
,digital ,age2 ,whereas the ,daniel     
,pearl ,freedom of the ,press ,act of   
#bjji 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #baea note2 ,public
 ,law #aaa-aff71 which was passed by    
unanimous consent in the ,senate and    
signed into law by ,president ,barack   
,obama in #bjaj1 expanded the annual    
,human ,rights ,reports of the          
,department of ,state to include the    
examination of freedom of the press2    
,whereas1 according to ,reporters       
,without ,borders1 in #bjad1 freedom of 
the press suffered a drastic decline    
across all continents2 ,whereas1        
according to ,reporters ,without        
,borders1 in #bjad1 #fi journalists and 
#ai citizen-journalists were killed in  
connection with the collection and      
dissemination of news and information2  
,whereas1 according to the ,committee to
 ,protect ,journalists1 in #bjad1 the #c
 deadliest countries for journalists on 
assignment were ,syria1 ,ukraine1 and   

,iraq2 ,whereas1 according to the       
,committee to ,protect ,journalists1    
more than #dj percent of the journalists
 killed in #bjad had been targeted for  
murder and #ca percent of journalists   
murdered had reported receiving threats2
 ,whereas1 according to the ,committee  
to ,protect ,journalists1 #fej          
journalists were killed between #aiib   
and ,april #bjae and the perpetrators   
have not been punished2 ,whereas1       
according to the ,committee to ,protect 
,journalists1 the #e countries with the 
highest number of unpunished journalist 
murders between #bjjd and #bjad are     
,iraq1 ,somalia1 the ,philippines1 ,sri 
,lanka1 and ,syria2 ,whereas1 according 
to ,reporters ,without ,borders1 in     
#bjad1 #hec journalists and #abb        
citizen-journalists were arrested2      
,whereas1 according to the ,committee to
 ,protect ,journalists1 as of ,december 
#a1 #bjad1 #bba journalists worldwide   
were in prison2 ,whereas1 according to  
,reporters ,without ,borders1 the #e    

countries with the highest number of    
journalists in prison as of ,december   
#h1 #bjad1 were ,china1 ,eritrea1 ,iran1
 ,egypt1 and ,syria2 ,whereas1 according
 to ,reporters ,without ,borders1 in    
#bjad1 the #e countries with the highest
 number of journalists threatened or    
attacked were ,ukraine1 ,venezuela1     
,turkey1 ,libya1 and ,china2 ,whereas1  
according to the #bjae ,world ,press    
,freedom ,index of ,reporters ,without  
,borders1 ,eritrea1 ,north ,korea1      
,turkmenistan1 ,syria1 and ,china were  
the countries ranked lowest with respect
 to media pluralism and independence1   
respect for the safety and freedom of   
journalists1 and the legislative1       
institutional and infrastructural       
environment in which the media operate2 
,whereas1 according to the ,committee to
 ,protect ,journalists1 in #bjad1 ,syria
 was the world's deadliest country for  
journalists for the third year in a row2
 ,whereas1 according to ,reporters      
,without ,borders1 the ,government of   

the ,russian ,federation continued to   
pressure the media to control           
independent news outlets to an extent   
that may lead to the termination of the 
outlets2 ,whereas ,freedom ,house has   
cited a deteriorating environment for   
,internet freedom around the world and  
in #bjad ranked ,iran1 ,syria1 ,china1  
,cuba1 and ,ethiopia as the countries   
having the worst obstacles to access1   
limits on content1 and violations of    
user rights among countries and         
territories rated by ,freedom ,house as 
,not ,free2 ,whereas freedom of the     
press is a key component of democratic  
governance1 activism in civil society1  
and socioeconomic development2 and      
,whereas freedom of the press enhances  
public accountability1 transparency1 and
 participation3 ,now1 therefore1 be it  
,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 expresses      
concern about the threats to freedom of 
the press and expression around the     
world following ,world ,press ,freedom  
,day on ,may #c1 #bjae2  7#b7 commends  

journalists and media workers around the
 world for their essential role in      
promoting government accountability1    
defending democratic activity1 and      
strengthening civil society1 despite    
threats to their safety2  7#c7 pays     
tribute to journalists who have lost    
their lives carrying out their work2    
7#d7 calls on governments abroad to     
implement ,united ,nations ,general     
,assembly ,resolution #afc 7#bjac72     
7#e7 condemns all actions around the    
world that suppress freedom of the      
press1 including3 brutal murders of     
journalists by the terrorist group      
,islamic ,state in ,syria1 violent      
attacks against media outlets such as   
the ,french satirical magazine ,charlie 
,hebdo1 and the kidnappings of          
journalists and media workers by        
pro-,russian militant groups in eastern 
,ukraine2  7#f7 reaffirms the centrality
 of freedom of the press to efforts of  
the ,united ,states ,government to      
support democracy1 mitigate conflict1   

and promote good governance domestically
 and around the world2 and  7#g7 calls  
on the ,president and the ,secretary of 
,state-- 7,a7 to improve the means by   
which the ,united ,states ,government   
rapidly identifies1 publicizes1 and     
responds to threats against freedom of  
the press around the world2  7,b7 to    
urge foreign governments to conduct     
transparent investigations and          
adjudications of the perpetrators of    
attacks against journalists2 and  7,c7  
to highlight the issue of threats       
against freedom of the press year round4