A declaration of the Organization of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) has called on world leaders to address journalist abuse.
The declaration was adopted by the OANA General Assembly in Istanbul on Thursday. It replaces the Jakarta Declaration of 2007.
"We support the core values of freedom of the press and ethical journalism, and strongly urge all governments to ensure safety, rights and fair treatment of local and foreign journalists," the declaration reads.
It comes weeks after one of Russia's most outspoken reporters, Oleg Kashin, was nearly killed outside his home in Moscow. Observers believe he was targeted for his writing.
Last weekend, two reporters of the Russia Today TV channel were arrested in the United States during an annual protest in front of a military base.
The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concern" over the incident.
There have been 19 unsolved killings of journalists in Russia over the past decade, most infamously that of Anna Politkosvkaya, critic of the Chechen wars, who was shot dead on Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's birthday four years ago.
ISTANBUL, November 25 (RIA Novosti)
