Addis Ababa: Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), has urged intensified pressure on governments across the world to make them more committed to the protection and safety of journalists. He expressed concern about the high rate of attacks and killing of journalists worldwide, emphasizing that governments must be committed to curbing the impunity by arresting and prosecuting perpetrators of such crimes. According to Ghana News Agency, Mr Dwumfour made the call during a panel discussion at a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to commemorate this year's International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. The panel discussion was held under the joint auspices of the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on the topic: 'Ensuring the Safety and Protection of Journalists by Addressing Impunity: A Responsibility for the World'. The event was jointly organized by UNESCO and the African Union (AU) o n the theme: 'Safety of Journalists in Crises and Emergencies'. Mr Dwumfour was accompanied by the General Secretary, Mr Edmund Kofi Yeboah, to the commemorative event, which included the launch of the 'Virtual Scroll' - a screen projection of the casualty profile of 1653 journalists killed worldwide between 1993 and 2023. Among these victims was Ghanaian investigative journalist Ahmed Suale, who was killed in 2019 by assailants yet to be identified six years on. Mr Dwumfour described the global casualty figure as alarming and stressed the need for decisive measures to end the killings. He called for the adoption of severe sanctions against states or governments that perpetrate harm against journalists, emphasizing that leaders of such entities must be held personally liable for crimes against journalists. Furthermore, Mr Dwumfour advocated for public education about the critical role of the media and journalists in national development, as well as the importance of avoiding harm to them. He expressed that such education would encourage the public to ensure the protection and safety of journalists.