London-based free speech and human rights organisation ARTICLE 19 and other international freedom of expression organisations pay much attention to the safety of journalists and impunity question as the lack of successful investigations in cases of violence against journalists lays the foundation for self-censorship in many countries.
Therefore the organisation sees positive steps in recent activity and proposals of the members of the UN.
Necessary step towards fighting impunity
On 27 September 2012 ARTICLE 19 said the recent draft UN Resolution on the Safety of Journalists to be a much needed step towards fighting impunity for the killings of journalists, media workers and other communicators or cases of violence against them.
The resolution has been tabled on behalf of Austria, Brazil, Morocco, Switzerland ![](/noop-media/images/17406.jpg")
and Tunisia.
The organisation urges the member states of the Human Rights Council (HRC) to adopt it as a matter of priority.
ARTICLE 19 welcomes the fact that the resolution condemns impunity and acknowledges the special role of journalists as providers of information in the public interest.
The resolution details a range of positive measures that states should adopt to ensure a safe environment for journalists such as introducing legislative measures, monitoring and reporting attacks against journalists, publicly condemning any such attacks.
The resolution also calls upon states to conduct independent, speedy and effective investigations, bringing to justice those responsible and ensuring that victims have access to appropriate remedies.
ARTICLE 19 stresses that the draft resolution recognises that journalists’ role as public watchdogs puts them in a precarious situation and at increased risk of legal and physical intimidation, harassment and violence.
The organisation believes that the resolution would be improved by incorporating the recommendations of the 2012 Joint Declaration on Crimes Against Freedom of Expression.
According to ARTICLE 19, the resolution should contain recommendations that legal measures for protecting journalists include a specific category of “crimes against freedom of expression” in criminal law.
Rights to peaceful assembly and association online recognised
ARTICLE 19 welcomes a new resolution on “the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association” (A/HRC/21/L.25) which was adopted at the 21st Session of the UNHRC in Geneva on 27 September 2012.
The resolution received the support of more than 50 state delegations and was adopted without a vote. It recognises the importance of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association for all people. It calls on states to respect and fully protect the rights of all individuals to assemble peacefully.
The new resolution also pays much attention to online associations. It recognises the important role of information and communication technologies in protecting the rights to peaceful assembly and calls on states to promote and facilitate internet access.
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The resolution expresses concern at the limitations which states impose on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
Here you can find many exaples of such limitations adopted recently in a number of countries.
The resolution is especially valuable as it affirms that association rights apply as much online as offline. ARTICLE 19 calls on all states to review their domestic laws and practices to ensure that they comply with the new resolution and with other international human rights standards in this area.
“Traditional values” may not value LGBT rights
A few days earlier, on 24 September, ARTICLE 19 called on UN HRC members to reject a draft resolution proposed by Russia on “traditional values” as the concept may be abused to legitimise discrimination against minority groups, to silence dissent, and violate people’s human rights.
The draft resolution being tabled before the UN HRC on “promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of traditional values of humankind” claims that “better understanding and appreciation of traditional values by the entire humanity and embodied in universal human rights instruments” contributes to both promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms worldwide.
The draft resolution calls on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to collect information from UN member states and other stakeholders on the “best practice” for applying traditional values while promoting and protecting human rights and upholding human dignity.
ARTICLE 19 warns that the draft resolution fails to recognise that traditional values are not always invoked positively and have often been abused to legitimise discrimination against marginalised and minority groups, to silence dissent, and violate people’s human rights.
The organisation is particularly concerned that “traditional values” will be used to silence advocates for the rights of women, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) and others challenging power hierarchies and inequalities.
Furthermore, ARTICLE 19 believes that the draft resolution can undermine other initiatives at the UNHRC. It reminds that on 24 March 2011 the UNHRC adopted Resolution 16/3 tasking the Advisory Committee to prepare a study on promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms through a better understanding of the traditional values of humankind.
24 member states voted in favour of the resolution and 21 voted against, with 7 abstaining, ind![](/noop-media/images/12675.jpg")
icating the controversy surrounding this issue.
The draft resolution on “traditional values” proposed by Russia is too hasty as it precedes the publication of the final report by the Advisory Committee. ARTICLE 19 therefore urges member states to await the Advisory Committee’s report before considering the issue of traditional values.
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