Mindful of the growing waves of threats posed by the Coronavirus pandemic and the need for a unified approach involving all key stakeholders including the media community;
Recognizing the essential role played by the media community and the Press Union of Liberia in past and recent national crises;
Knowing that without the adequate involvement of media workers in national initiatives, such as the ongoing fight against the global pandemic, all efforts could be thwarted;
And
Concerned that threats and actions like the one being perpetrated by deputy information minister Eugene Fahngon have the tendency of undermining every effort at ensuring a oneness of purpose in facing and defeating the pandemic;
Now, therefore, the media community, through the Press Union of Liberia has hereby resolved and derived the following resolution to wit:
That journalists and media workers will continue the use of their appropriate institutional and PUL identity cards at all times to carry out their duties;
That the government of Liberia will be held responsible for any harm and intimidation suffered by journalists and media workers during the discharge of their duties in the face of the current threats from the deputy minister of Information, Eugene Fahngon;
That the Union sees as a complete violation of the MOU reached between its leadership and the government, Minister Fahngon’s decision to unilaterally accredit journalists to cover the COVID-19 pandemic in isolation of the PUL;
That the government’s action to restrain and restrict the movements of journalists runs contrary to the UN Secretary-General’s warning on this year’s World Press Freedom Day against restricting the media during this pandemic;
That the Union remains open to any constructive engagements and discussions with the government in the interest of the mutual understanding that should be existing between the two sides and encourages its members to continue to use their official working and PUL accreditation cards to carry on their functions.
DONE IN THE CITY OF MONROVIA, MONTSERRADO COUNTY, REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA, ON THIS 8TH DAY OF MAY, A.D. 2020 BY THE GENERAL MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLED