Recently, representatives of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAPDU) took part in a meeting of the Interagency Commission on the payment of one-time financial assistance to journalists who were killed or injured in the performance of their professional duties. The meeting was chaired by Oleh Nalyvayko, Head of the State Committee on Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine, and attended by representatives of central executive authorities such as the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Policy.
Journalists' work during the war: challenges and risks
“The work of a journalist during a war is extremely important. In such circumstances, it is becoming increasingly dangerous, especially when it comes to working in the territories of hostilities. Many journalists have voluntarily become war correspondents and are risking their lives to tell the world about this terrible, destructive reality directly from the field. But unfortunately, many journalists also find themselves in situations where they lose their lives or are injured and, as a result, disabled.”
The Law of Ukraine «On State Support of Mass Media and Social Protection of Journalists» provides a number of guarantees for journalists in such situations. In particular, journalists are entitled to a one-time financial assistance in the amount of 50 subsistence minimums established for able-bodied persons in case of injury (contusion, trauma or mutilation) sustained in the course of performing their professional duties.
Results of the meeting: decisions and recommendations
The meeting considered the case of a journalist who was injured while performing his duties, and following the discussion, a positive decision was made to pay the benefit.
At the same time, the Commission identified gaps in the legislation and decided to initiate amendments to the bylaws to bring them in line with the current legislation. In addition, it was decided to apply to the relevant authorities to clarify issues related to ensuring the rights of injured journalists.
Relevance of changes in legislation
Timely detection and elimination of existing conflicts in legislation from a practical point of view often plays a crucial role in people's lives. The NAPD, as a non-governmental organization, continues to actively participate in the development of government policies aimed at protecting the rights of people with disabilities and their proper implementation.
The report was prepared and published within the framework of the project "Crisis in Ukraine: Response and Recovery with Persons with Disabilities (Phase 2), implemented by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine in cooperation with the European Disability Forum (EDF) and the Christian Blind Mission (CBM).
