Search Tips
sorted by
30 shown of 118 entities
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- It is also worrying that the number of journalists forced into exile as a result of attacks, threats and possible imprisonment doubled between 2009 and 2010 compared with the previous year. While the host Government has the obligation to respect and to ensure the rights of all individuals within its territory, regardless of nationality or other grounds, the Special Rapporteur reiterates the obligation of all States to guarantee the protection of journalists and others who exercise their right to freedom of expression in their own countries in the first place.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Citizen journalists have come to play an increasingly important role in gathering and disseminating news, in particular in countries where press freedom is restricted, or in a disaster or conflict zone where professional journalists may not be present. While they cannot replace professionally trained journalists, they contribute to the public's access to a richer diversity of views, opinions and information. Like professional journalists, and for the same reasons, citizen journalists are subjected to acts of harassment and intimidation, including death threats, arbitrarily arrested and detained, prosecuted and sentenced to imprisonment and/or to harsh fines, and even assassinated. However, they enjoy less protection than professional journalists, as they do not have the support of media organizations and networks, and lack recognition as professional journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also encourages all States to establish an early-warning and urgent response mechanism for the protection of journalists; such a mechanism should also exist for the protection of human rights defenders. It should be an official State commission with high-level recognition and an appropriate budget, composed of high-level representatives of State institutions related to security, territorial administration and human rights, as well as representatives of journalists' associations, media associations and non-governmental organizations working on issues related to the right to freedom of expression. The Commission's plan of work and urgent response procedures should be determined through a common agreement among its members, according to the circumstances of the country or a region within the country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Bearing in mind that standards exist in international human rights law for the protection of professional journalists outside of armed conflict situations, the Special Rapporteur urges States, with whom the primary responsibility for the protection of journalists lies, to implement those standards at the national level. This includes ensuring that no legislation is passed to unduly limit the freedom of expression of journalists, ensuring the physical and psychological integrity of journalists, and taking steps to tackle impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations against journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 111
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur recommends that civil society organizations work to raise awareness of the risks faced by journalists, the international standards which exist to protect them, and how these might be implemented through campaigns and training initiatives; that civil society organizations, including journalists, make efforts to ensure that global standards of professional conduct are met in order to enhance the credibility and protection of journalists; and that they coordinate with one another and with the United Nations in order to ensure that their work is complementary.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The right to freedom of opinion and expression in electoral contexts 2014, para. 83b
- Paragraph text
- [Accountability mechanisms are a crucial means of ensuring that regulatory frameworks are enforced and abuses of power are rectified. Impunity is a root cause of the lack of safety faced by journalists. In the context of promoting free expression during electoral processes, States should:] Guarantee the safety of journalists and media workers; legislative and policy measures must be adopted to prevent attacks against journalists and to eradicate impunity in relation to episodes of violence and intimidation;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also encourages donors to support training courses, projects, policies and programmes to enhance the protection of journalists and citizen journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 116
- Paragraph text
- In keeping with the United Nations Action 2 programme, the Special Rapporteur encourages other United Nations agencies to support the protection of journalists by ensuring that United Nations actions at the country level are grounded in human rights principles and guided by international norms and standards. Training and toolkits, such as those provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in relation to journalists working on HIV/AIDS and corruption, for example, could be tailored to the protection of journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Laws that criminalize expression continue to be used by States to imprison journalists who disseminate "inconvenient" information. Journalists may be arrested and detained, particularly in the run-up to elections, often on the basis of vague anti-terrorist or national security laws. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned that the current number of journalists in prison is the highest since 1996. Criminal prosecution of journalists creates a "chilling effect" that stifles reporting on issues of public interest.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The implications of States’ surveillance of communications on the exercise of the human rights to privacy and to freedom of opinion and expression 2013, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- States cannot ensure that individuals are able to freely seek and receive information or express themselves without respecting, protecting and promoting their right to privacy. Privacy and freedom of expression are interlinked and mutually dependent; an infringement upon one can be both the cause and consequence of an infringement upon the other. Without adequate legislation and legal standards to ensure the privacy, security and anonymity of communications, journalists, human rights defenders and whistleblowers, for example, cannot be assured that their communications will not be subject to States' scrutiny.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- States also have an obligation to implement measures to prevent the recurrence of violence against journalists and citizen journalists, which may include ensuring that law enforcement agencies, security personnel and armed forces are provided with training on international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including their obligation to protect journalists and to respect them as civilians during armed conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur commends the courageous work of journalists and citizen journalists, who often risk their lives to inform the public. The Special Rapporteur encourages journalists and citizen journalists to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct and to report honestly, objectively and in an ethically responsible and independent manner, so as to enhance their credibility and protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- The emergence of "online journalists" - both professionals and untrained so-called "citizen journalists" - play an increasingly important role in documenting and disseminating news in real time as they unfold on the ground. Journalists who publish their work online should be afforded the same protection under articles 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Any restriction applied to online content must also be in conformity with the three-part test set out in article 19, paragraph 3, of the Covenant.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- The protection of journalists and combating impunity requires context-specific measures that address the specific risks in each situation and effectively addresses the root causes of attacks. While there are many organizations committed to ensuring the protection of journalists at all levels, there has not been much collaboration and joint strategies adopted at the international level. The Special Rapporteur thus welcomes the initiative to draft a United Nations joint Plan of Action on the Protection of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity and looks forward to its effective implementation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The use of encryption and anonymity to exercise the rights to freedom of opinion and expression in the digital age 2015, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- States should promote strong encryption and anonymity. National laws should recognize that individuals are free to protect the privacy of their digital communications by using encryption technology and tools that allow anonymity online. Legislation and regulations protecting human rights defenders and journalists should also include provisions enabling access and providing support to use the technologies to secure their communications.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Impunity for those who attack and/or kill journalists remains a central obstacle to guaranteeing the protection of journalists. The Special Rapporteur is deeply concerned that perpetrators have enjoyed total impunity in 94 per cent of cases in which journalists were murdered in 2009, and in only 2 per cent of cases of attacks against journalists in 2009 were the offences tried before the competent authorities and the perpetrators and instigators prosecuted.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Despite provisions in international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee the rights of journalists, journalists continue to be targeted for disseminating "inconvenient" information. The problem lies not in the lack of international standards, but in the inability or unwillingness of Governments to ensure the protection of journalists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur calls upon all States to respect and implement their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, as well as existing norms and standards, to protect the rights of journalists and citizen journalists alike.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 114
- Paragraph text
- United Nations field presences should support States in implementing measures for the protection of journalists, as in the case of OHCHR in Colombia which offers support for the protection mechanisms in Colombia.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and media freedom 2012, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- To combat impunity and to prevent human rights violations against journalists, States must take measures to facilitate awareness among the judiciary, journalists and civil society of the relevant international standards and show willingness to work towards the implementation of these standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Groups in need of attention, limitations to the right to freedom of expression, and protection of journalists 2010, para. 133
- Paragraph text
- With regard to the alarming number of journalists who have been killed, kidnapped or threatened, States are reminded of their duty to investigate and prosecute those responsible for planning and perpetrating such acts in order to eliminate the culture of impunity that perpetuates violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur encourages journalists and citizen journalists, should they encounter any human rights violations as a result of their work, to document them and to submit complaints to him by e-mail, at urgent-action@ohchr.org.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also welcomes the initiatives taken by various stakeholders on the issue of the protection of journalists in armed conflict, including United Nations bodies and organizations such as the Security Council, the Human Rights Council and UNESCO. The Special Rapporteur encourages all relevant United Nations entities to coordinate their activities and responses.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur encourages non-governmental organizations and other organizations working on the issue of the protection of journalists to continue their efforts and to work jointly through a coordinated approach.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The protection of sources and whistle-blowers 2015, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- National legal frameworks must protect the confidentiality of sources of journalists and of others who may engage in the dissemination of information of public interest. Laws guaranteeing confidentiality must reach beyond professional journalists, including those who may be performing a vital role in providing wide access to information of public interest such as bloggers, "citizen journalists", members of non-governmental organizations, authors and academics, all of whom may conduct research and disclose information in the public interest. Protection should be based on function, not on a formal title.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Most important, the Special Rapporteur urges all States to end impunity for threats and attacks against and the murder of journalists, media professionals, associated personnel and citizen journalists. In particular, the Special Rapporteur calls upon the 12 countries with the highest rates of impunity (see para. 29 above) to investigate all violations thoroughly and to prosecute the perpetrators.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that the problem with regard to continued and increasing violence against journalists, associated media personnel and citizen journalists is not lack of legal standards, but lack of implementation of existing norms and standards. The Special Rapporteur would thus like to make the following recommendations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Emergency or national security laws are also often used to justify restrictions on citizen journalists' expression of views or dissemination of information through the Internet, often on the basis of protecting vaguely defined national interests or public order. For example, on 27 February 2004, the Special Rapporteur, together with the Chairperson of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, sent an urgent appeal to the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic regarding the arrest of a person in relation to articles which he distributed by e-mail, mainly from the Akhbar al-Sharq Internet site (www.thisissyria.net). The Syrian authorities were quoted as saying that material on the site is "detrimental to the reputation and security of the nation" and "full of ideas and views opposed to the system of Government in Syria".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
Protection of journalists and press freedom 2010, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- In other cases, laws or decrees that explicitly regulate online expression have been adopted and used to restrict the peaceful expression of opinion and ideas. For example, on 17 May 2010, at the conclusion of his fact-finding mission to the Republic of Korea, the Special Rapporteur issued a press statement in which he expressed concerns regarding Internet-specific legislation, in particular the Framework Act on Telecommunications and the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection. The Special Rapporteur noted that the former was used as the basis for arresting a blogger for posting online articles which were critical of the Government's economic policy in the context of the financial crisis, while the latter has been used to delete online posts and to sentence or fine individuals who initiated online campaigns for a consumer boycott.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph
The protection of sources and whistle-blowers 2015, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Second, "citizen journalists" and bloggers and other media "non-professionals" engage in independent reporting and disseminate their findings through a wide variety of media, from print and broadcast to social media and other online platforms. They frequently work in ways similar or identical to, or even more rigorous than, the work of traditional journalists. Some States have adopted rules that provide important protection for them. For example, the Irish High Court, in Cornec v. Morrice and Ors, found that bloggers might claim source protection because they could constitute an "organ of public opinion" and because the right to influence public opinion would be jeopardized if they were forced to disclose their sources.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Other
Paragraph