Video journalist Issam Abdallah, who has been killed in Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon in October 2023, AFP
Guterres' remarks came on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
"They are essential to strong and accountable institutions and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," he added.
Guterres noted that journalists are often targeted for "attack, illegal detention, and even death" for revealing the truth.
At least 88 journalists were killed in 2022, a sharp increase from the preceding years, according to UNESCO.
"I am deeply alarmed by these figures, and by the rise in threats of all kinds against journalists," Guterres said.
Thirty-four journalists were killed in the Israeli war on Gaza, according to Reporters Without Borders organization, which called on the International Criminal Court prosecutors to investigate their deaths.
The organization said it filed a complaint regarding eight Palestinian journalists killed in Israel’s bombardment of civilian areas in the Gaza Strip.
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