Joint Declaration on Freedom of Expression and Responses to Conflict Situation

The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Organization of American States (OAS) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information,

Having discussed these issues together with the assistance of ARTICLE 19, Global Campaign for Free Expression and the Centre for Law and Democracy;

Recalling and reaffirming our Joint Declarations of 26 November 1999, 30 November 2000, 20 November 2001, 10 December 2002, 18 December 2003, 6 December 2004, 21 December 2005, 19 December 2006, 12 December 2007, 10 December 2008, 15 May 2009, 3 February 2010, 1 June 2011, 25 June 2012, 4 May 2013 and 6 May 2014;

Advocacy letter: UN Secretary General must recognise the 'Right to Know' in his Post-2015 report

His Excellency Ban Ki-moon
Secretary General of the United Nations
United Nations Headquarters
New York, NY 10017
CC: Amina J. Mohammed, Assistant Secretary General

Dear Mr. Secretary General,

We write to you as a coalition of civil society organisations committed to sustainable development, to urge you to highlight the importance of the right to information, free media, and the protection of civil society organisations’ ability to organise and engage in your upcoming stocktaking report on the Sustainable Development Goals to the General Assembly.

International experts call for universal protection of freedom of expression

Today, international experts mandated by the UN, African Union, Organization of American States and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe will jointly call for states to ensure that all people in society can realise their right to freedom of expression without discrimination. The Joint Declaration on the Universality of the Right to Freedom of Expression [available in FR, SP and RU] by the four special rapporteurs, officials appointed to investigate and report on free of expression issues, has been produced with the assistance of ARTICLE 19.
It reiterates the the universal nature of freedom of expression, reflected in international and regional general human rights standards and national constitutions and its recognition as a core human value in all major cultural, philosophical and religious traditions around the world. It highlights also the importance of pen debate about different cultures, values, beliefs and practices can have in promoting understanding and tolerance, and in combating hatred and social division.

Women’s Day 2014: Combating violence against women in Brazil through better access to information

Lack of reliable and comprehensive information about violence against women seriously hampers good policy-making, restricts research, and compromises the work of women's rights organizations.

ARTICLE 19 seeks to fight violence against women by improving access to information that will allow better monitoring of domestic violence statistics and participation by women’s rights groups in the planning and evaluation of State-led initiatives. Women need information to take advantage of opportunities to design public policy, practice and expenditure so that their interests may be recognised and addressed.

Improving access to information and freedom of expression is one of the most effective means to strengthen democratic governance. Freedom of information encourages a democratic culture that goes far beyond the checks and balances that formally constitute a functioning democracy. A commitment to access to information demonstrates that a government holds itself accountable to its people, and creates an arena for constructive political dialogue.