The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Gina Romero, has issued a comprehensive set of recommendations addressed to universities around the world, urging them to safeguard the right of students and staff to engage in peaceful protests, especially in support of the pro-Palestine solidarity movement.
After analyzing numerous complaints and talking to more than 150 people from 30 countries, including students and faculty, Romero stressed that universities must take immediate steps to ensure that their campuses are safe spaces for freedom of expression and peaceful protest.
“The repression of protest movements at universities not only threatens fundamental rights, but also puts at risk the sustainability of democracy and human rights globally,” the Rapporteur noted in a recent statement.
- Among the recommendations highlighted, Romero called on universities to:
- Recognize and respect the importance of youth activism as a significant contribution to human rights and justice.
- Stop stigmatization and hostilities that silence the academic community.
- Facilitate and protect peaceful assemblies, prioritizing dialogue and avoiding the use of police force.
- Eliminate surveillance measures and reprisals against those who express their opinions.
- Investigate in a transparent manner human rights violations that occur in the context of protests.
- Align its regulations with international human rights standards.
In addition, the Rapporteur underscored the transformative impact that universities can have in addressing these issues: “Their actions not only affect their campuses, but shape political discourse, civic education and the future of democracies”.
The findings revealed alarming trends of stigmatization and disproportionate restrictions against pro-Palestine activists, including accusations of supporting terrorism, hostile rhetoric from public authorities, and arbitrary disciplinary actions. In some instances, universities revised regulations on an ad hoc basis to suppress demonstrations, escalating tensions instead of fostering dialogue. Students, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds, were disproportionately affected, facing harassment, surveillance, and even future career repercussions
This recommendations document, available in English, Spanish and French, is part of a global effort to strengthen the protection of fundamental freedoms in university settings, with particular attention to the challenges faced by the pro-Palestinian movement.
Consult the full set of recommendations and its different components.
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