A/HRC/RES/56/7 allowed access to conflict-affected areas while also being assured protection as civilians in in accordance with international humanitarian law, and noting that direct attacks on journalists as such are a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions, Emphasizing also the importance of digital connectivity to ensure the continuation of critical services, particularly in a situation of crisis or armed conflict, and underlining the importance of access to a free, open, interoperable, reliable, safe and secure Internet, Deeply concerned about all attempts to silence journalists, other media workers and human rights defenders, including by legislation that can be used to criminalize expression and by the misuse of overbroad or vague laws to repress freedom of expression, including defamation and libel laws, laws on misinformation and disinformation or counter-terrorism and counter-extremism legislation, when not in conformity with international human rights standards, as well as extraterritorial attempts to silence and intimidate journalists, other media workers and human rights defenders, among other rights holders, Expressing serious concern at the rise of strategic lawsuits against public participation, including those brought by business entities, to exercise pressure, intimidate or exhaust the resources and morale of journalists, other media workers, civil society organizations and human rights defenders, and thereby impede them in the performance of their work, including on matters of public interest, Recognizing the importance of free, independent, plural and diverse media, online as well as offline, in building and supporting the functioning of inclusive societies and democracies, an informed citizenry, the rule of law and participation in public affairs and in holding public institutions and officials accountable, including during democratic processes, and at all stages of elections, and by exposing corruption, Recognizing the primary responsibility of States, as the main duty bearers, to promote and protect human rights online and offline, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the importance of their support for relevant efforts that strengthen the resilience of societies against the negative impact of disinformation and misinformation at all levels, in particular through digital, media and information literacy education, and inclusion, intercultural understanding, fact-checking and transparent and accountable technological solutions, Underlining that digital contexts provide opportunities and challenges for exercising the right to freedom of opinion and expression, regardless of frontiers, for improving access to information and for seeking, receiving and imparting information and ideas of all kinds, and emphasizing that, in the digital age, technical solutions to secure and protect the confidentiality of digital communications, including measures for encryption, pseudonymization and anonymity, as well as efforts to promote access to information and communications technology, digital, media and information literacy, civic participation and online safety, are important to bridge digital divides and ensure digital inclusion and the enjoyment of human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Expressing concern at the spread of disinformation, which can be designed and implemented so as to mislead, violate and abuse human rights, including privacy and the freedom of individuals to seek, receive and impart information, to spread hatred, racism, xenophobia, negative stereotyping and stigmatization and to incite discrimination, hostility or violence, and stressing that responses to the spread of disinformation and misinformation must be grounded in international human rights law, including the principles of lawfulness, legitimacy, necessity and proportionality, and underlining the importance of free, independent, plural and diverse media and of providing and promoting access to independent, fact-based information to counter disinformation and misinformation, Emphasizing that disinformation is a threat to democracy that can undermine democratic institutions and processes, including electoral processes, thereby supressing political engagement, hindering the realization of informed participation in political and public affairs and undermining trust in democracy’s core institutions, Emphasizing also the importance of information integrity as a means to promote and protect the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds and to respond to the spread of disinformation 3