In celebration of the ten-year anniversary of the mandate on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, UNSR Clément Voule held an online event on 12 November 2020: “10 years of protecting freedom of assembly and association: how much have we progressed and how can states do more.”
The high-level webinar, moderated by Mr. Douglas Rutzen (ICNL), included interventions by the Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Antanas Linkevičius, the Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Mr. Simon Coveney and EU Special Representative of Human Rights Eamon Gilmore on institutional commitments to FoAA, and provided a space to reflect on the first decade of the work of the mandate and the guidance it was able to provide to States in their efforts to uphold FoAA rights.
But the speakers marked the occasion with a clear and urgent call for renewed action for the support and commitment from States for upholding FoAA rights around the world in the next 10 years.
Speakers agreed that “human rights in general and FoAA specifically are at a watershed in today’s global context.” They raised particular concern regarding the negative effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on FoAA rights, which governments use as a pretext to limit FoAA rights.
“The mandate now more than ever needs the untiring support from governments, civil society actors, international organizations and other stakeholders “; said Special Rapporteur Clement Voule. “As daunting as these challenges are, however, there are many reasons to remain hopeful and seek out concrete opportunities to transform what the future will hold. There is a sense of both urgency and hope.”
The webinar came to a close with a panel discussion between UNSR Voule, EUSR Gilmore, OHCHR Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms. Nada Al-Nashif and civil society representatives Ms. Claudia Virginia Samayoa (Guatemala), Ms. Mireille Tushiminina (DRC) and Ms. Hina Jilani (Pakistan), in which they addressed the necessary steps to improve the protection of these rights in the future.
A general feeling of hope and urgency characterized the seminar, concluding with an activating call on all actions to “move forward towards a more vigorous and coordinated agenda to protect the rights to peaceful assembly and association across the world”.
Check out the Agenda of the event here.
Want to find out how the mandate will address the next decade’s challenges? Click here to read UNSR Voule’s report “Ten years protecting civic space worldwide” which summarizes the achievements of the mandate’s past decade while giving an overview of the complex and rapidly evolving issues it will face in the upcoming decade.
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