A/HRC/RES/16/4
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
8 April 2011
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Sixteenth session
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council*
16/4
Freedom of opinion and expression: mandate of the Special
Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to
freedom of opinion and expression
The Human Rights Council,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 7/36 of 28 March 2008 and 12/16 of 2
October 2009, and all previous resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and the
Council on the right to freedom of opinion and expression,
Recognizing that the effective exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and
expression, as enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is essential for the enjoyment of other human
rights and freedoms, and constitutes a fundamental pillar for building a democratic society
and strengthening democracy, bearing in mind that all human rights are universal,
indivisible, interdependent and interrelated,
Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1, on the institution-building of the
Council, and 5/2, on the code of conduct for special procedures mandate holders of the
Council, of 18 June 2007, and stressing that the mandate holder shall discharge his/her
duties in accordance with those resolutions and the annexes thereto,
1.
Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and
protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression;
2.
Decides to extend the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further period
of three years;
* The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of
the Council on its sixteenth session (A/HRC/16/2), chap. I.
GE.11-12499