A/HRC/RES/56/7 1. Reaffirms the rights contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in particular the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any other media of one’s choice, and the intrinsically linked rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, peaceful assembly and association and the right to vote and take part in the conduct of public affairs; 2. Also reaffirms that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, in particular the right to freedom of opinion and expression; 3. Stresses that a democratic society depends on respect for human rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and that undue restrictions on the freedom to seek, receive and impart information undermine democracy and the rule of law by preventing efforts aimed at informing citizens, including during democratic processes and at all stages of elections, and holding public authorities accountable and exposing corruption, and also stresses the importance of promoting a safe and diverse information environment that produces accurate, trustworthy and reliable information, meaning that people can rely on the accuracy of the information they access while being exposed to a variety of ideas; 4. Expresses its continuing concern that violations and abuses of the right to freedom of opinion and expression continue, often with impunity, and are facilitated and aggravated by the abuse of states of emergency, the misuse of overbroad or vague laws to repress freedom of expression, and unlawful or arbitrary surveillance and/or interception of communications, including through digital surveillance technologies; 5. Strongly condemns the threats, reprisals, harassment and violence against, both online and offline, and the targeting, criminalization, intimidation, arbitrary detention, torture, disappearance and killing of any individual, including journalists and other media workers, artists and cultural workers, human rights defenders, including environmental human rights defenders, all women and girls, and individuals in vulnerable situations and/or belonging to marginalized groups, for exercising and advocating for their human rights and fundamental freedoms, for reporting and seeking information on human rights violations and abuses or for cooperating with national, regional and international mechanisms, including in relation to economic, social and cultural rights, which have increased and are not adequately punished, in particular where public authorities are involved in committing such acts, and including when such acts are committed in situations of crisis or armed conflict; 6. Expresses its deep concern at all forms of discrimination, intimidation, harassment and violence, both online and offline, that prevent women and girls from fully enjoying their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the right to privacy, in accordance with obligations under international law, that hinder their full, equal, effective and meaningful participation in economic, social, cultural and political affairs and are an impediment to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls; 7. Underlines that connectivity, access to information and communications technology and the promotion of open and secure digital access and digital inclusion, including through digital, media and information literacy, are critical for the enjoyment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and to bridge the digital divides; 8. Calls upon all States: (a) To promote, protect, respect and ensure the full enjoyment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, both online and offline, and to take all measures necessary to put an end to and to prevent violations and abuses of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including by ensuring that relevant national legislation complies with their international human rights obligations and is effectively implemented; (b) To ensure that victims of violations and abuses have effective remedy, that threats and acts of violence are investigated effectively, and that those responsible are brought to justice in order to combat impunity; 5