The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of elections 2013, para. 54
Paragraph- Paragraph text
- In the run-up to elections or following contested elections, there may also be instances of Governments' blocking funding for civil society organizations, including those with mandates that are closely related to the conduct of elections. For instance, in the run-up to the 2013 elections, the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela adopted the law against organized crime and terrorist financing, which restricts funding of "foundations, civic associations, non-profit associations, as well as associations having political ends or groups of individuals who run for elections". The Special Rapporteur, in his second thematic report (A/HRC/23/39), established access to funding for civil society organizations as an integral part of the right to freedom of association. He stated that any constraints on associations' ability to access foreign funding should be necessary in a democratic society and that common justifications offered by States, such as counter-terrorism measures, protection of State sovereignty, enhancement of aid effectiveness, and the improvement of transparency and accountability of civil society, often do not meet this strict standard.
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Other
- Reference
- SR Freedom of Assembly, Report to the UNGA (2013), A/68/299, para. 54.
- Paragraph number
- 54
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