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Access to information in international organizations 2017, para. 1
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- The workings of international organizations, including the United Nations, are deeply opaque to most people. Apart from the work of their highest profile bodies, what they do and how they do it is largely hidden from public view. In such an environment, how does information of legitimate interest to the public get disclosed? How does the general public, including citizens, students, journalists, scholars, activists, parliamentarians and even representatives of Member States, keep track of how the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations operate and how international civil servants comply with their obligations? What policies, if any, direct international officials to share information? What standards do international officials rely upon when deciding whether to withhold information? In general, how do intergovernmental organizations ensure their own compliance with the human rights norm guaranteeing everyone the right to seek and receive information of all kinds, especially information held by public authorities?
- 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
- Year
- 2017
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Access to information in international organizations 2017, para. 4
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- There is evidently no formal process according to which a member of the public, let alone a special rapporteur, may seek such information from the United Nations. As a result, even if an intergovernmental organization has a good case for non-disclosure in a particular situation, that argument is not tested (see ST/SGB/2007/6). To address this point one must ask how are institutional decisions and analyses, and decision makers, to be put to the test when such information is so difficult to obtain? Instead of a formal process that would enable the submission of requests for information, public knowledge of the policies and actions of the United Nations and of other intergovernmental organizations is limited to only what those bodies choose to publish, while external evaluation typically depends on the efforts of journalists or researchers who develop access within such organizations. Within the United Nations, and most intergovernmental organizations, there appears to be no obligation on the part of any official source to provide reasons for refusing to disclose information.
- 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
- Year
- 2017
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Access to information in international organizations 2017, para. 8
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- And yet, despite the fact that intergovernmental organizations make much of the public work of their institutions available online, including legal instruments, resolutions, decisions of committees and monitoring bodies, field work and webcasts of public meetings, few organizations have access-to-information policies that enable the public, either on an individual basis or through the work of journalists and researchers, to make requests for information not otherwise disclosed. Organizations that do include such policies, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Bank, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and a handful of others — mostly international financial institutions and funds — are discussed in section III below. Even if they entertain such requests, most organizations make little or no effort to publicize their willingness or to highlight the standards by which decisions to disclose information are made.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
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Contemporary challenges to freedom of expression 2016, para. 24
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- National security is also used to justify excluding information in the public interest from disclosure, with many Governments overclassifying vast amounts of information and documents and others providing limited transparency in the process and substance of classification. In the case of Japan, for instance, the Government adopted the Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets, which raised concerns about transparency, third-party oversight, the protection of journalists and their sources, and whistle-blowers. The United States enforces its Espionage Act in ways that ensure that national security whistle-blowers lack the ability to defend themselves on the merits of grounds 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)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
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Freedom of expression, States and the private sector in the digital age 2016, para. 17
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- Hardware firms design and manufacture the computer devices that connect individuals to the Internet. The range of devices equipped with personal computing functions is, however, ever-expanding and impossible to cap, given the avalanche of connectedness widely described as the "Internet of things", in which digital connection is enabled for all aspects of contemporary existence. Automobiles, refrigerators, televisions and watches are just a few examples of "smart" devices that today incorporate browser, messaging and other Internet-related functions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Freedom of expression, States and the private sector in the digital age 2016, para. 42
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- The European Court of Justice, in Google Spain v. Mario Costeja González, compelled Google under the Data Protection Directive of the European Union to delist search results based on web pages that identified González, even though the original publication of those pages was itself not subject to takedown. The decision has found an active life outside the European context. The scope and implementation of this approach raise questions about the appropriate balance between the rights to privacy and protection of personal data on one hand, and the right to seek, receive and impart information containing such data on the other.
- 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
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Freedom of expression, States and the private sector in the digital age 2016, para. 48
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- Service shutdowns and associated restrictions are a particularly pernicious means of enforcing content regulations. Such measures are frequently justified on the basis of national security, the maintenance of public order or the prevention of public unrest. In 2015, the Special Rapporteur, together with representatives of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of American States and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights condemned as unlawful Internet "kill switches". In one year alone, there were reports of shutdowns in Bangladesh, Brazil, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India and Pakistan. The Special Rapporteur confirmed instances of telecommunication service provider and service shutdowns in Tajikistan, during his official visit in March 2016.
- 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
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Groups in need of attention, limitations to the right to freedom of expression, and protection of journalists 2010, para. 61
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- Consequently, the Special Rapporteur encourages the mass media to ensure that they have a representative and diverse staff. He also urges the press and mass media to provide coverage that creates an atmosphere of respect for cultural diversity and multiculturalism.
- 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
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2010
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Groups in need of attention, limitations to the right to freedom of expression, and protection of journalists 2010, para. 66
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- The right to freedom of opinion and expression includes the freedom for minority and excluded groups to give, receive and transmit information. Community-based media are effective ways to accomplish that, and it is the duty of Governments to assist and support them in doing so and to ensure equitable access. The Special Rapporteur reiterates the call to Governments, made in paragraph 3 of the relevant section of the Colombo Declaration, to "develop national policies that address access to, and participation in, information and communication for people living in poverty, including access to licenses and fair spectrum allocation".
- 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
- Poverty
- Year
- 2010
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Groups in need of attention, limitations to the right to freedom of expression, and protection of journalists 2010, para. 92
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- The high-risk conditions in which journalists carry out their work, as evidenced by the threats and assaults to which they constantly fall victim, are also a matter of concern.
- 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
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Groups in need of attention, limitations to the right to freedom of expression, and protection of journalists 2010, para. 97
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- The Special Rapporteur must also draw attention to the serious risk that exercising freedom of the press in a professional, objective and pluralistic manner constitutes in areas of conflict, where journalists have come to be seen by the parties to the conflict as just another target.
- 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
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Groups in need of attention, limitations to the right to freedom of expression, and protection of journalists 2010, para. 99
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- In the aforementioned resolution, the Security Council also urges all parties involved in situations of conflict to respect the professional independence and rights of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel as civilians.
- 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
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Groups in need of attention, limitations to the right to freedom of expression, and protection of journalists 2010, para. 117
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- The Special Rapporteur expresses concern about the violence to which journalists and media professionals continue to fall victim.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 28
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- Asia and the Middle East have seen killings of presidents of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan following a television broadcast during which two maulanas stated that the Ahmadiyya community was deserving of death; incitement by a Government-appointed imam in Saudi Arabia to eliminate all Shia believers in the world; incitement to and acts of violence against the Sufi community in Sri Lanka; increased radicalization and serious instances of incitement to racism in Israel against the Arab population, in addition to acts of violence by Jewish settlers against Muslims; and incitement to religious hatred against Jews in the occupied Palestinian territory.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 29
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- In the Americas, there have been instances of incitement to racial and religious hatred and manifestations of religious intolerance. For example, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, there has been violence against members of the Catholic and Jewish communities, while in the United States, there have been instances of religious hatred or intolerance towards Islam, including plans by members of a Floridian church, the Dove World Outreach Center, to burn copies of the Koran.
- 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
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2012
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Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 50a
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- [In any case, the Special Rapporteur reiterates that all hate speech laws should, at the very least, conform to the following elements outlined in the 2001 joint statement on racism and the media:] No one should be penalized for statements that are true;
- 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
- Gender
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 50c
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- [In any case, the Special Rapporteur reiterates that all hate speech laws should, at the very least, conform to the following elements outlined in the 2001 joint statement on racism and the media:] The right of journalists to decide how best to communicate information and ideas to the public should be respected, in particular when they are reporting on racism and intolerance;
- 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 50d
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- [In any case, the Special Rapporteur reiterates that all hate speech laws should, at the very least, conform to the following elements outlined in the 2001 joint statement on racism and the media:] No one should be subject to prior censorship;
- 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 55
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- With regard to discussion of history, the Special Rapporteur is of the view that historical events should be open to discussion and, as stated by the Human Rights Committee, laws that penalize the expression of opinions about historical facts are incompatible with the obligations that the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights imposes on States parties in relation to the respect for freedom of opinion and expression (CCPR/C/GC/34, para. 49). By demanding that writers, journalists and citizens give only a version of events that is approved by the Government, States are enabled to subjugate freedom of expression to official versions of events.
- 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
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 64
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- A special responsibility to denounce instances of hate speech continues to rest with public officials, however. Clear, formal rejections of hate speech by high-level public officials and initiatives to engage in interreligious or intercultural dialogue play an important role in alleviating tensions and building a culture of tolerance and respect without resorting to censorship. For example, following the publication by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005 of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a derogatory manner, 11 ambassadors from Muslim-majority countries requested a meeting with the Prime Minister. The request was not granted, however, meaning that an early and important opportunity to defuse tension and to prevent a spiral of violence was missed. In contrast, when Geert Wilders, a member of the parliament of the Netherlands, released his controversial online film, Fitna, on 27 March 2008, the Government acted swiftly to distance itself from the film and to reject the equation of Islam with violence, which was welcomed in the joint press statement issued on 28 March 2008 by the Special Rapporteur, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Interestingly, the film attracted little controversy.
- 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 70
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- While the swiftly evolving electronic media landscape has led to a dramatic increase in the volume of information available, the quality of information has not always kept pace. An objective, ethical and informative media therefore remains essential to informing society about contentious societal issues in a balanced manner and to preventing individuals from falling prey to promises of easy solutions and extremist rhetoric. Caution exercised by the media is also essential to preventing the drawing of any unnecessary attention to acts of an extremist individual that can spark violence. For example, when an obscure pastor in the United States threatened to burn the Koran in September 2010, the media played a negative role in unnecessarily drawing attention to the story. Had greater care been taken in reporting on the incident, some of the violence that ensued might have been averted.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Year
- 2012
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Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 72
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- All these factors have made the work of journalists as information providers increasingly challenging. If the media are to fulfil their primarily role of informing society, which is a crucial prerequisite in combating hate speech, a principled return to ethical journalism is urgently required. Moreover, it is essential that information regarding the media landscape of each country be made available publicly, including information on media ownership and sources of revenue.
- 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 74
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- Lastly, ensuring accountability for what is reported in the media also remains important. For example, the open journalism paradigm promoted by the Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland encourages two-way interaction between journalists and the audience online, which has reinserted journalists' willingness to engage in debate and be accountable for what they do into the core of journalism. At the very minimum, media outlets and journalists should adopt voluntary ethical codes and standards that do not allow hate speech and promote high standards of professional journalism, in addition to establishing independent and self-regulatory bodies to elevate standards of journalism and to ensure the accountability of all media professionals. Self-regulatory bodies should be seen not only as an exercise in policing and dispute resolution, but also as an opportunity to involve society at large in debates about the role and contribution of the media, to monitor the state of the media, to advocate professional journalism and to promote media literacy. Such bodies can also play a proactive and exemplary role in setting and reinforcing ethical standards for online content and the social media.
- 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
- Year
- 2012
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Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 78
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- Given that blasphemy laws do not comply with the above-mentioned criteria, the Special Rapporteur urges States to repeal them and to replace them with laws protecting individuals' right to freedom of religion or belief in accordance with international human rights standards. In addition, any law that provides for disproportionate sanctions for the expression of opinions, such as the death penalty, should be repealed immediately. Similarly, the Special Rapporteur calls upon States to repeal laws that prohibit discussion of historic events. Just as religion, history should always be open to discussion and debate.
- 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
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2012
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Hate speech and incitement to hatred 2012, para. 81
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- When hate is expressed by politicians and public authorities, additional sanctions should be imposed, as recognized in article 4 (c) of the Convention. Such sanctions could include those of a disciplinary nature, such as removal from office, in addition to effective remedies for victims.
- 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
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet 2011, para. 13
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- Anyone with access to the Internet can now potentially disseminate information to a global audience. In situations where journalists have limited access, for example during times of humanitarian crises or natural disasters, images recorded on mobile phones or messages posted online by bloggers and social networking sites have played a key role in keeping the international community informed of the situation on the ground. Indeed, with the increased use of Web 2.0 platforms, information is no longer an exclusive preserve of professional journalists, since a far wider range of people take part in gathering, filtering and distributing news. "Crowdsourcing" is one example which exemplifies such a trend. At the same time, traditional communications media, such as television, radio and newspaper, can also use the Internet to expand their audiences at nominal cost. While the increasing relevance and reliance on amateur videos and first-hand account of events posted on the Internet have had a profound effect on the news industry, professional journalists continue to play an indispensable role in researching, organizing and providing analysis and context to news events. The Internet should thus be seen as a complementary medium to mass media that has been based on a one-way transmission of information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet 2011, para. 52
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- In the United States of America, the Senate unanimously passed the "Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act" in 2010. The Act seeks to ensure full access for users who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened or deaf-blind to evolving high-speed broadband, wireless and other Internet protocol technologies. Moreover, the Act stipulates that accessibility features are preserved when materials are offered online, that telephones used over the Internet must be compatible with hearing aids and that television programmes must also be captioned when delivered over the Internet.
- 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
- Health
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet 2011, para. 73
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- Another example of national strategies is that of Brazil, where in early 2008 a "Broadband in Schools" programme was launched in Brazil through a partnership involving the federal Government, the regulator National Telecommunications Agency (ANATEL) and several telecommunications operators. The project aims to connect 56,865 state schools nationwide, which would then benefit 37.1 million pupils, or 84 per cent of the Brazilian student population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2011
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Key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet 2011, para. 74
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- In New Zealand, a Government-funded programme, the Rural Broadband Initiative, aims to improve the availability of fibre backhaul links in less-urbanized parts of the country, as well as to provide country schools with reliable, high-speed connectivity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Education
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Key trends and challenges to the right of all individuals to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds through the Internet 2011, para. 77
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- Broadband Internet access through mobile phones is also increasing rapidly. According to ITU statistics, by the end of 2010, the total number of mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide had reached 940 million. This number is expected to top 1 billion in 2011, from 73 million in 2005. One key reason for the growth in mobile broadband is that operators are offering both competitive and affordable data packages. This development is complemented and supported by new technologies, which are bringing more efficiency to networks. Singapore is one such example with a 100 per cent penetration rate for mobile phones, and with a majority of households having at least one mode of broadband access. In addition, in 2008 and 2009, the Government selected two companies to work on a coordinated nationwide roll-out of the network. As stipulated under the terms of the broadband deployment, one of these companies will waive all installation charges for home and building owners when the network first reaches their area. These companies are also to provide network connectivity to outdoor locations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2011
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