A/HRC/23/40
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
17 April 2013
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Twenty-third session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the
promotion and protection of the right to freedom
of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue*
Summary
The present report, submitted in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution
16/4, analyses the implications of States’ surveillance of communications on the exercise of
the human rights to privacy and to freedom of opinion and expression. While considering
the impact of significant technological advances in communications, the report underlines
the urgent need to further study new modalities of surveillance and to revise national laws
regulating these practices in line with human rights standards.
* Late submission.
GE.13-13303