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** SPOTLIGHT
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Protest against harassment of and threats against women, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: MD Abu Sufian Jewel /NurPhoto

Freedom of expression high on the agenda at the UN Human Rights Council

In the context of Israel’s unprecedented attacks on peace efforts in Qatar, and alarm over Russia’s drone incursions over Poland, the United Nations Human Rights Council meets amid deepening global instability.

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) – which convened in Geneva on Monday for its 60th Session – will play a more important role than ever in upholding human rights worldwide.

Against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Kremlin’s refusal to engage with ceasefire or peace negotiations, the HRC will begin negotiating the renewal of the mandate for the Special Rapporteur on the Russian Federation.

Since the last renewal a year ago, the human rights situation in Russia has deteriorated even further, and authorities have tightened laws targeting freedom of expression. Journalists and human rights defenders face harassment, arrest, or exile, leading, as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk ([link removed]) has highlighted, to ‘the near elimination of any form of dissent within the country’. 


ARTICLE 19 and partners have also raised the alarm about Russia’s enhancement of a ‘digital iron curtain’ ([link removed]) – sustained efforts to replace global messaging platforms with state-controlled applications integrated into government services, alongside crackdowns on virtual private networks.


Another focus for the HRC is Cambodia, where a crackdown on protests and systemic harassment of journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society has raised alarm. We are calling for a strong resolution to ensure the renewal of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and to provide recommendations to the government to improve conditions for human rights in the country.

One of the most important issues for the HRC will be negotiations on a new resolution on freedom of expression and women’s empowerment. Women’s right to freedom of expression requires women to be equally able to share their ideas and opinions – online and offline – without censorship or fear of retaliation. Women journalists ([link removed]) in particular face uniquely gendered risks, and women overall face enormous barriers that drive their voices from public debate.

Freedom of expression and gender equality are mutually reinforcing, indivisible, and interdependent and we will be advocating for the resolution to affirm that reality. 

Warning: The Russian authorities designated ARTICLE 19 as an ‘undesirable organisation’ on 8 February 2024. While the ‘undesirable’ designation can be seen as a marker of recognition of ARTICLE 19’s work to promote freedom of expression, we understand that it also carries significant risks for those who engage with our work. Under Russian legislation, an ill-defined and overbroad notion of ‘participation in the activities of an undesirable organisation’ incurs the risk of administrative and criminal prosecution. We also understand that sharing and storing this statement in Russia can be considered a prosecutable offence and may lead to the imposition of fines and other sanctions.

Coming soon:

Our latest Boundaries of Expression podcast episode, ‘Breaking through the wall of silence’, a conversation with Professor Karima Bennoune about women in Iran and Afghanistan, and the push for gender apartheid to be recognised under international law.

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ALSO IN THE NEWS

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Guinea's transitional president Mamady Doumbouya. Credit: Saliou Samb / Reuters

Hopes for democracy in Guinea

On 21 September, Guinea will hold a constitutional referendum to decide whether the country will return to civilian rule. Following a coup in 2021, the military junta has led an interim government, and the referendum signals a positive step towards restoring democracy and giving people in Guinea a voice in their future. And yet, ahead of the vote, civic and political space continues to shrink. Military authorities have suspended at least three political parties, and although they lifted some restrictions on media, the ban on the independent news website Guinee360.com remains in place.   

Along with our colleagues in West Africa, we will be paying close attention to the media environment and conditions for civil society ahead of this important vote.

As a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, Guinea must uphold its human rights obligations ahead of the referendum and foster an open civic and political space where all voices are heard.


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