Ensuring that journalists are able to shed light on oppression and “the dark side of power” is not just a Western value but a “universal cause”, the foreign secretary is due to say at the opening of a major international media conference in London.

An unprecedented number of delegates, from over a hundred countries, including more than 60 ministers as well as 1,500 journalists, academics and campaigners are due at the meeting aimed at protecting freedom of expression and shielding members of the media from violence and intimidation.

A range of cases of targeting the journalists will be examined. They include the murders of the Jamal Khashoggi, in which Saudi officials are key suspects: Daphne Caruana Galizia, the writer and anti-corruption campaigner killed in a car bombing in Malta and Lyra McKee, shot dead in Northern Ireland while covering street protests.

Ninety-five journalists were killed while carrying out their work last year, according to the International Federation of Journalists, and hundreds of others have been imprisoned, tortured experience daily, often violent, intimidation.

Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Show all 7 1 /7 Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Jamal Khashoggi Washington Post journalist who was critical of the Saudi regime and the young Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he was murdered on 2 October in the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul AFP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Heir to the Saudi throne, Mohammed bin Salman has been implicated in the murder, with US officials claiming that he must have known of the plot AFP/Getty Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures 15 man hit squad Turkish police suspect these 15 men of being involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, issued 10 October, 8 days after the journalist disappeared EPA Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Saud al-Qahtani Aide to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saud al-Qahtani is claimed to have ordered Khashoggi's murder Saud Al-Qahtani/Twitter Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb A former diplomat who often travelled with the Crown Prince, Mutreb was initially claimed to be the leader of the hit squad and is pictured here entering the Saudi consulate on the day of the murder AP Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Mustafa al-Madani First implicated in the 15 CCTV photos released by the Turkish police, al-Madani was later found to have been used as a body double for Khashoggi, leaving the Saudi consulate dressed in his clothes on the day the journalist was killed CNN Jamal Khashoggi death: key figures Salah bin Jamal Khashoggi (L) Son of the murdered journalist met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 23 October EPA

Jeremy Hunt, who will be present alongside the human rights lawyer and the foreign secretary’s special envoy on media freedom, Amal Clooney and the Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, is due to stress that journalists are fundamental to the exposure of corruption.

“Never before have so many countries come together in this cause. And today we send a strong message that media freedom is not a Western but a universal value…. At its best, a free media both protects society from the abuse of power and helps to release the full potential of a country,” Mr Hunt will say in a keynote speech.

“And today we send a strong message that media freedom is not a Western but a universal value…. At its best, a free media both protects society from the abuse of power and helps to release the full potential of a country.”

Mr Hunt will hold that the “strongest safeguard against the dark side of power is accountability and scrutiny” provided by a free media.

“The open exchange of ideas through a free media allows the genius of a society to breathe, releasing the originality and creativity of the entire population. Societies which embrace free debate”.

“Norway, with only 5 million people, has won 13 Nobel Prizes. They have flourished because their open society and free media – ranked the freest in the world - have created the very best setting for their talents to thrive.”

Mr Hunt will also argue that the global struggle against corruption is enhanced by a free media: “Of the 10 cleanest countries in the world, as ranked by Transparency International, seven are also in the top 10 of the World Press Freedom Index” he is due to say.