UN and regional human rights experts issued a joint declaration calling on States to strengthen international efforts to support and protect civil society actors who are increasingly being targeted in repressive and life-threatening environments.

This report by UNSR Clement Voule, identifies a path forward for ending Internet shutdowns and will act as a key resource for supporting efforts by governments, companies, international institutions, and civil society to strengthen cooperation and implementation measures to end shutdowns.

The UN Human Rights Committee has adopted pivotal new guidance on the right of peaceful assembly. On July 27, 2020, the Committee issued General Comment No. 37: the Committee’s first authoritative guidance on the right of peaceful assembly, as enshrined in article 21 of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights.

These comments address ‘The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020’ (the Act) of the Philippines, highlighting the potential impact on the protection and promotion of a number of fundamental human rights.

In this report, the UNSR on Freedom of Expression registers alarm that some efforts to combat the coronavirus disease pandemic may be failing to meet the standards of legality, necessity, and proportionality. The Special Rapporteur highlights five areas of concern, showing that access to information, independent media, and other free expression rights are critical to meeting the challenges of the pandemic.

UNSR Clément Voule issued ten key principles to guide states’ response to a public health crisis. A checklist and survey accompany these principles to assess the implementation by government authorities and other key actors.

PUBLISHED: APRIL 2020 This April 2020 joint declaration by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Organization for Security and Co-operation […]

General Comments are an important standard setting instrument and a powerful advocacy tool for the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

In this 2019 report, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Voule, focuses on the opportunities and challenges facing these rights in the digital age. 

Civil society space has shrunk dramatically since 2001, with civil society actors increasingly finding themselves stigmatized, discriminated against and criminalized.