Search Tips
sorted by
30 shown of 54 entities
The Special Rapporteur's vision of the mandate 2017, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Together with freedom of expression and other rights, freedom of peaceful assembly and of association lies at the core of any functioning democratic system. These rights are essential components of democracy, as they empower men and women to “express their political opinions, engage in literary and artistic pursuits and other cultural, economic and social activities, engage in religious observances or other beliefs, form and join trade unions and cooperatives, and elect leaders to represent their interests and hold them accountable” (Human Rights Council resolution 15/21, preamble).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The Special Rapporteur's vision of the mandate 2017, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In his third report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/26/29), in which he assessed the threats against groups most at risk when exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, the previous mandate holder focused on the challenges facing groups that were often relegated to the margins of society, both in their daily lives and in the exercise of those rights. In the report, he highlighted the link between the denial of those rights and the marginalization of such groups and how that marginalization exacerbated their inability to effectively exercise their rights. Some of the groups considered to be most at risk were persons with disabilities; youth, including children; women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people; members of minority groups; indigenous peoples; internally displaced persons; and non-nationals, including refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers. For the purpose of the report, the groups most at risk also included groups and individuals who were targeted not because of their identity, but because they actively lobbied for the rights of those most at risk of discrimination and retribution. He noted that human rights defenders, including journalists, trade unionists and environmental activists, faced considerable opposition, harassment, stigmatization and even physical attacks from State and non-State actors in many countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- A recent survey in European Union countries found that 75 per cent of women in management and higher professional positions and 61 per cent of women in the service sector have experienced some form of sexual harassment. Women workers in countries as diverse as Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jordan, Swaziland and Tunisia have reported verbal, physical or sexual abuse, sexual harassment or rape at work. Some 90 per cent of female Kenyan tea and export-processing workers say they have witnessed or experienced sexual abuse at work; nearly all said they were afraid to report it for fear of losing their job.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The principle of non-discrimination applies to all rights, and States are obliged to ensure that traditionally disenfranchised groups are able to enjoy their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Article 4 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women requires States to take positive measures to secure equal enjoyment of rights for women, including assembly and association rights. The Committee on Migrant Workers requires States to encourage self-organization among migrant workers irrespective of their migration status, and to inform them about associations that can provide assistance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Without the ability to organize and take collective action at work, too many of the world's working women are forced to labour in climates of violence and fear. The ever-present threat of the loss of employment, health, opportunities to provide for one's family and, potentially, one's life, exacerbates the challenge for workers to defend their basic rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Gender inequality in the family colludes with discrimination at work to further depress women's worker and human rights. For example, the disproportionate burden of household work falls to women across cultures, curtailing their mobility and limiting their employment opportunities. Shouldering the burden of unpaid care disenfranchises women and distances them from their rights to association at work because it forces women into part-time, on-call, at-home or underpaid care labour to enable them to continue their unpaid work. That often forces women into the informal, unprotected economy. Women generally work those jobs over longer lifespans than men, without job-related social protections, which exacts a heavy toll that includes entrenched impoverishment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Fundamentalism and its impact on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Human Rights Committee has stated that the positive obligations of States parties "will only be fully discharged if individuals are protected by the State, not just against violations of Covenant rights by its agents, but also against acts committed by private persons or entities that would impair the enjoyment of Covenant rights". States parties' failure to take appropriate measures or exercise due diligence to prevent, punish, investigate or redress the harm caused by non-State actors may constitute a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has affirmed that "States may also be responsible for private acts if they fail to act with due diligence to prevent violations of rights or to investigate and punish acts of violence, and for providing compensation". The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has found similarly.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Fundamentalism and its impact on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- In India, discrimination against individuals of lower caste - Dalits - manifests itself in various ways, including a lack of access to justice, threats to life, and gender-based violence against women and girls. Protests by Dalits are often met with violence and excessive use of force by high-caste individuals and law enforcement officials. Also, Dalit activists are detained and prosecuted on serious charges such as terrorism. At the multilateral level, India has placed impediments to accreditation by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (a standing committee of the Economic and Social Council) of the International Dalit Solidarity Network, an international non-governmental organization that focuses on caste-based discrimination and other forms of discrimination based on work and descent (see A/69/365, para. 74).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Fundamentalism and its impact on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2016, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- The present report can be viewed as following on from the Special Rapporteur's 2014 report to the Council on threats against groups most at risk when exercising assembly and association rights (see A/HRC/26/29). That report focused on the groups whose rights were being violated, which included persons with disabilities; women; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people; and others. The follow-on report focuses on the other half of the equation: who are the perpetrators of these abuses, what are the ideologies that drive them, and what are the State's obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in this context?
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Women union leaders in Guatemala are "especially targeted" with threats, violence and murder. Women workers report being punched to force miscarriages, or abducted while waiting for transportation to and from work. In Guatemala, more than 5,000 women and girls were killed between 2008 and 2015. The Government of Guatemala has adopted a law against femicide, but rather than use the law to punish and pursue those responsible, it is often used to attack union leaders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 102i
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recommends that the United Nations and multilateral financial institutions:] In consultation with trade unions and worker organizations, ensure the promotion and protection of assembly and association rights in their policies and programmes, particularly with regard to policies related to employment, economic development, trade, migration and the rights of specific groups, including women, children, racial/ethnic minorities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Women tend to be concentrated in the bottom levels of the global supply chain, in sectors with lower pay, less prestige and fewer benefits, such as the garment, electronic assembly and service sectors. More women than men work in agriculture, where they comprise approximately 70 per cent of the informal workforce. Further, women usually constitute 60 to 90 per cent of the workforce in special economic zones, where worker protections are sharply reduced or eliminated in order to attract foreign investment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Situated at the intersections of gender, race, migration and informality, domestic workers represent a large component of the global workforce excluded from the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and to association. ILO estimates that 67 million people globally are domestic workers, and 80 per cent of them are women; and that 11.5 million migrant workers are domestic workers, about three-quarters of them women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- The majority of the world's workers, including informal, women, domestic, migrant and agricultural workers and day labourers, are often excluded from national legal protective frameworks, leaving them unable to exercise their fundamental rights to associate or assemble, and without access to remedies when their rights are violated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Perhaps the fiercest deterrent to the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for women is gender-based violence, which affects more than 35 per cent of women globally. While violence against women generally is increasingly in the global spotlight, its occurrence at work continues to be neglected or ignored.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Today only about half of women globally are in the labour force, compared to more than three-quarters of men. Three-quarters of their employment is in informal and unprotected work. That makes women far less likely than men to be in trade unions and enjoy work-related protections, including assembly and association rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination, abuse and relegation to jobs at the bottom of the global economy undermine women workers' ability to join and form organizations that defend their interests. Worldwide, women's employment is concentrated in low wage work at the far reaches of the global supply chain where social protections, including those afforded by labour law, are scarce.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Hiring practices also give employers free reign to channel women into low wage, low-status jobs. Women may be concentrated on the global economy's most unprotected positions owing to many employers' belief that women workers are more docile, dexterous or uncomplaining, and will make fewer demands.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights requires that States ensure that people can organize and join workers' associations that address their concerns, and that particular attention be given to domestic workers, rural women workers, women working in female-dominated industries and women working at home, who are often deprived of that right.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The global gender wage gap, currently estimated at 77 per cent, is a further indicator of discrimination against women workers. Gender-based job restrictions enshrined in law, in contravention of international conventions and standards, further depress women's wages and lower their employment rate, generating long-lasting economic and social consequences for themselves, their family and their country. A World Bank survey of 173 countries found that 155 have at least one law impeding women's economic opportunities. Legal restrictions on the type of employment women can access still exist in 79 countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- The majority of the world's workers, particularly those in vulnerable situations, such as migrant, women and domestic workers, are disenfranchised of their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace. That disenfranchisement is the result of many factors, including the failure of much touted economic policies in reducing poverty and economic inequality; the increasing power of large multinational corporations and corresponding failure by States to effectively regulate and enforce norms and standards against those actors; the fragmentation of the workplace and diffusion of employer responsibilities across a range of actors; and the global crackdown on civil society that targets organizations and individuals working on labour issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Fundamentalism and its impact on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Religious fundamentalism often has a disproportionate impact upon the assembly and association rights of women. In Latin America, for instance, associations fighting for reproductive rights have faced strong resistance from the Catholic Church and evangelical Christians, who strictly oppose abortion and family planning. The Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights has extensively documented the negative impact that Islamic fundamentalism can have on women's enjoyment of assembly and association rights in a number of countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the workplace 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Women in the global economy are often relegated to low-paying, low-skills jobs. Persistent gender-based violence suppresses the individual and collective assertion of their rights to resist exploitative/abusive employers or State authorities. Further, certain groups of workers, including women, internal and external migrants, racial, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities, dispossessed rural workers and others, are often disenfranchised from the start by their status, making it more difficult to assert rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation projects 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In many cases, the most egregious violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation are committed against groups and individuals inhabiting regions far from centres of power, who are often at risk or already marginalized within society. They may lack access to information or the means of effectively advocating for their concerns, or they may be confronted with authorities are that are unable or unwilling to address their grievances. The ability to freely associate and to peacefully assemble are indispensable in this regard. Some of the categories of persons that require special attention in the context of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and of natural resource exploitation are women (including women human rights defenders), Afro-descendants, indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, fisher folk and forest dwellers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation projects 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, perceived leaders of movements or protests are often subjected to particularly egregious violations of their rights, such as disappearances and arbitrary killings in an effort by States and corporations to intimidate and thus disrupt organized efforts to resist exploitation activities. In Orissa, India, anti-mining campaigners have been killed, and 42 women defenders at the forefront of demonstrations against dams were jailed for protesting (see A/HRC/19/55/Add.1, para. 76).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- [International human rights instruments that protect the rights of particular groups specifically recognize directly or indirectly the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for those groups:] The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women requires States to take all appropriate measures to ensure that women are able to participate in the political and public life of the country on equal terms with men. That includes the right to participate in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country (art. 7).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Patriarchal attitudes and stereotypes in societies that promote a narrow understanding of the role of women as being confined to the private sphere militate against the ability of women to organize and participate in activities in the public sphere. Thus, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has expressed concern at the harassment, intimidation and imprisonment of members of women's NGOs and women human rights defenders and at restrictions placed on the activities of organizations focused on gender equality (see, for example, CEDAW/C/UZB/CO/4, paras. 17-18). Similarly, the Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice found that women's participation in political and public life is commonly constrained by structural and societal discrimination in the family, in caregiving responsibilities and in violence against women, and by marginalization by political parties and other non-State public institutions. The obligation of States to remove those barriers is clearly mandated in article 2 (f) of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and has been repeatedly advocated by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (A/HRC/23/50, para. 56). Despite laws prohibiting caste discrimination and positive measures to reverse the impact of discrimination and violence, the Dalit population in India continues to face severe social restrictions in participating on an equal footing with others in political parties and associations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Nevertheless, where a registration regime exists, requirements should be framed such that no one is disadvantaged in the formation of her or his association, either by burdensome procedural requirements or unjustifiable limitations to substantive activities of associations. The State has an obligation to take positive measures to overcome specific challenges that confront marginalized groups, such as indigenous peoples, minorities, persons with disabilities, women and youth, in their efforts to form associations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- [Various international law instruments point to particular principles and measures that States should adopt in order to achieve non-discrimination and equality. For example, States should:] Eliminate gender-based violence, affirm women's right to reproductive choice and modify social or cultural patterns so as to eliminate the idea of stereotyped roles for men and women;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of multilateral institutions 2014, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Civil society actors communicating with United Nations treaty bodies were similarly subject to reprisals. In 2012, a human rights defender from Belarus was temporarily forbidden to leave the country after he participated in an NGO briefing to the Committee against Torture on Belarus during its forty-seventh session. In 2013, two Cuban NGO representatives were harassed and intimidated by a State official and members of government organized NGOs during the fifty-fifth session of the Committee on Discrimination against Women. In 2013, the premises of an Egyptian NGO were raided and members arrested after having cooperated with the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In 2010, several indigenous organizations from Guatemala were subject to a smear campaign following their participation in the seventy-sixth session of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In 2012, two NGOs were charged under the Russian foreign agent legislation following submissions they made to the Committee against Torture during the consideration of the fifth periodic report of the Russian Federation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph