The article 19 freedom of expression handbook vi acknowledgements this handbook was written by sandra coliver, article 19s law programme director, based. The declaration replaces the previous declaration of principles on freedom of expression in a. To read the previous articles in this series, please visit. Universal declaration of human rights the united nations. But around the world, there are governments and those wielding power who find many ways to obstruct it. The african commission on human and peoples rights has published a new declaration on principles of freedom of expression and access to information in africa declaration, which replaces its 2002 principles on freedom of expression, and expands the guidance to states on access to information and digital rights. Recalling that freedom of expression is a fundamental right recognized in the american declaration on the rights and duties of man and the american convention on human rights, the universal declaration of human rights, resolution 59 1 of the united nations general assembly, resolution 104 adopted by the general conference of the united. Revision of the declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa commences model law on access to information in africa prepared by the african commission on human and peoples rights. United nations human rights system global freedom of. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, enshrined in article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights. The united nations general assembly declared may 3 to be world press freedom day or just world press day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under article 19 of the 1948 universal declaration of human rights and marking the anniversary of the windhoek declaration, a. We know that 35% of the victims were journalists or reporters and 35% were bloggers. Implementing freedom of expression a checklist for the implementation of the declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa based on the african commission on human and peoples rights declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa london november 2006 article 19, 68 amwell street, london ec1r 1uq, united kingdom.
Third, because human rights are possessed by all human beings, we. International standards on freedom of expression universal declaration of human rights. Freedom of expression in the united states t he universal declaration of human rights udhr and the international covenant on civil and political rights iccpr, to which the united states is a party, both state that individuals have a right to freedom of expression. The universal declaration of human rights remains as relevant today as it was on the day in 1948 that it was proclaimed and adopted by the united nations general assembly. Of the then 58 members of the united nations, 48 voted in favor, none against, eight abstained, and two did not vote the declaration consists of 30 articles. Understanding the right to freedom of expression journalists for. Eu human rights guidelines on freedom of expression online and offline foreig affairs council meeting brussels, 12 may 2014 the council adopted the following guidelines. This illustrated edition of the universal declaration of human rights. Freedom of expression human rights house foundation. This activity is prepared by national experts from a selected number of member states in the drafting group on freedom of expression and links to other human rights cddhexp. United nations niversa eclaratio uma ight 1 whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom. Freedom of opinion and expression are rights which uniquely enable us to promote, protect and fulfil all other human rights. For instance, the profile of the victims of violations in 2016 demonstrate the importance of this issue. Article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights udhr2 guarantees the.
Recognising that the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on civil and political rights as well as other international instruments and national constitutions also guarantee the rights to freedom of expression and access to information. Universal declaration of human rights preamble whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous. The rights enable us to expose, communicate and condemn human rights abuses. Conscious that freedom of expression and access to information are cross. Declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa. The right to freedom of opinion and expression is enshrined in a number of international and regional human rights instruments, some of which are accessible from the below hyperlinks. Achpr press release the declaration a soft law document that. The aim of these regional human rights instruments is to comple. Journalists and media workers, including citizen journalists and bloggers, play an important role in upholding the right to freedom of expression as well as access to information for all citizens. Freedom of expression and links with other human rights.
Because of the rights asserted in article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights udhr, we all have the right to form our own opinions and to express and share them freely. Article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights udhr, is consistent. A manual on human rights for judges, prosecutors and lawyers 525 chapter 12 some other key rights. Freedom of opinion and expression stand up for human. Oas special rapporteurship for freedom of expression. To exercise the rights in article 20, you do not have to. Freedom of expression and hate speech freedom of the media. Irans ministry of foreign affairs says a recent decision by the administration of us president donald trump to block the domains of iranian news outlets is in stark infringement of the universal declaration of human rights and freedom of expression. Declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa 102511 3. Universal declaration of human rights, article 19 introduction timatatanga what is freedom of expression. Freedom of expression conference 1 declaration human rights. In a twitter post on sunday, the iranian ministry strongly condemned the us treasury departments. Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of a democratic society and an enabler of all other human rights.
Human rights watch welcomes the opportunity to provide input to the special rapporteur on freedom of expression and access to information in africa on the newly revised declaration of principles. Human rights in southeast asia briefing materials for the aseanaustralia summit sydney, australia march 1718, 2018 h u m a n r i g h t s w a t c h. Indeed, the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association guarantee and protect various formsindividual and. Finally, the right to freedom of expression is also recognised in article 23 of the asean human rights declaration of 2012 though this is not yet legally binding. Revision of the declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa commences model law on access to information in africa prepared by the african commission on human and peoples rights achpr.
Achpr declaration of principles of freedom of expression. Eu human rights guidelines on freedom of expression online. Declaration of human rights, the charter of the united nations. Recalling that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the african charter on human and peoples rights, the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on civil and political rights, as well as other international documents and national constitutions. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
All of the three regional human rights treaties the european convention on human rights echr,4 the american convention on human rights achr5 and the african charter on human and peoples rights achpr6 guarantee the right to freedom of expression. One frequently cited definition of human rights posits four necessary requirements. The declaration of principles of freedom of expression and access to information in africa the declaration, adopted by the african commission on human and peoples rights the african commission in 2019, has been published. Declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa, african commission on human and peoples rights, 32nd session, 17 23 october, 2002.
International covenant on civil and political rights, freedom of expression occupies. Submission by human rights watch to public call for input on. The united nations human rights committee qualified freedom of opinion and expression as indispensable conditions for the full development of the person. International standards on freedom of expression unesco. The fundamental right to freedom of expression and the right to seek, receive and impart information are included in both the universal declaration of human rights and the international covenant on civil and political rights1.
We, human rights defenders and civil society organizations csos working for the defense and protection of human rights, gathered in quezon city, philippines, during the freedom of expression conference, n organized by the human rights online philippines hronlineph on 12 december 2017. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. The article 19 freedom of expression handbook 10 the result is that the universal declaration is now widely acclaimed as a magna carta of humankind, to be complied with by all actors in the world arena. Considering that this declaration aims at securing the universal. Freedom of opinion is an absolute civil right, meaning no one can jeopardize or limit human thinking, whereas freedom of expression of opinion is treated as a political right. Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind. Freedom of speech and expression has a long history that predates modern international human rights instruments. Article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights article 19 everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Censorship and freedom of expression council on foreign.
America violated freedom of expression blocking iran media. Freedom of expression gives special rights and duties to the media. Promoting the human right to freedom of expression and. Declaration of principles on freedom of expression and access.
Protecting the human right to freedom of expression in international law. Asean human rights declaration we the association of. Article 20 of the universal declaration of human rights. Preamble whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which. Eleanor roosevelt and the universal declaration of human rights 1948article 19 states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Declaration of human rights udhr, we all have the right to form our own opinions. At the same time, restrictions on the right to freedom of expression in relation to. The media inform society on matters of public interest and create an important platform for public debate, scrutiny and reflection. International covenant on civil and political rights iccpr, article 19 iii. Article 21 of the universal declaration of human rights. Freedom of information foi can be defined as the right to access information held by public bodies. Recalling that a number of regional standards are relevant to the protection of human rights on the internet, in particular the african charter on human and peoples rights of 1981, the windhoek declaration on promoting an independent and pluralistic african press of 1991, the african charter on broadcasting of 2001, the declaration of principles on freedom of expression in africa of 2002. Second, because it is the same right that all human beings possess, it must be possessed equally by all human beings.
First, it must be possessed by all human beings, as well as only by human beings. African declaration on internet rights and freedoms the. Universal declaration of human rights, resolution 59 1 of the united. The universal declaration of human rights udhr, proclaimed by the. Freedom of opinion and expression international standards.
The importance of communication as a basic human right is also established in article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights. Declaration of principles on freedom of expression approved by the inter. The declaration of principles of freedom of expression and access to information in africa the declaration was adopted by the african commission on human and peoples rights the african commission at its 65th ordinary session which was held from 21 october to 10 november 2019 in banjul, the gambia. Therefore, independent media and quality journalism are considered to be the watchdog of a democratic society. If we do not believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we do not believe in it at. Declaration of principles on freedom of expression and. For instance, the profile of the victims of violations in. Article 10 of the european convention on human rights and article 19 of the international covenant on civil and political rights.
Freedom of opinion and expression are fundamental rights of every human being. Article 19 of the universal declaration of human rights. It is thought that the ancient athenian democratic principle of free speech may have emerged in the late 6th or early 5th century bc. Protecting the human right to freedom of expression in. But the boundaries between freedom to criticise and damaging a persons honour or reputation are not always very clear. The values of the roman republic included freedom of speech and freedom of religion. International covenant on civil and political rights iccpr.
The adoption of the declaration is a landmark development that elaborates article 9 of the african charter on human and peoples rights and will contribute to an enhanced normative standard for freedom of expression, access to information and digital rights in africa, in line with international human rights and standards. Asean human rights declaration we, the heads of stategovernment of the member states of the association of southeast asian nations hereinafter referred to as asean, namely brunei darussalam, the kingdom of cambodia, the republic of indonesia, the lao peoples democratic republic, malaysia, the republic of the. Freedom of thought, conscience, religion, opinion, expression, association and assembly. The preamble to the universal declaration sets human rights in the context of the inherent dignity as well as the. Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights, pp. Universal declaration of human rights united nations. The court also cited the declaration on freedom of expression and the internet adopted on 1 june 2 see editorial board of pravoye delo and shtekel v. The rights to freedom of opinion and expression grant all people the right to express themselves, and to seek, receive and impart information through any medium. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right for every person around the world.
China has championed the idea of cyber sovereignty. We also know that 19% who were radio broadcasters and 10% owners of communication platforms organistions. European convention on human rights as amended by protocols nos. United nations human rights system global freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is a fundamental freedom, one of the cornerstones of democracy in europe, enshrined in various key texts, including the european convention on human rights.
Article 19 of the 1948 universal declaration of human rights udhr states. Standards further defined and specific cases of violations addressed by. Persuaded that the right to freedom of expression is essential for the development. Human rights standards related to freedom of the press, freedom of expression, freedom of information i. American commission on human rights during its 108th regular period of sessions, held from october 2 to 20, 2000 preamble reaffirming the need to ensure respect for and full enjoyment of individual freedoms and.
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