Since 2012, several landmark resolutions have been approved by UN bodies on the issue of the safety of journalists. This guide explains what they are, and how to use them to keep governments accountable.
A 5-minute IFEX guide to how the UN checks whether or not governments are putting their international commitments on journalists’ safety and the problem of impunity into action – and how civil society can contribute.
UNESCO’s Committee on Conventions and Recommendations (CR) offers a mechanism that any individual or group can use to try to get violations of rights, including the right to freedom of expression, addressed by States – but it’s relatively unknown. This 5-minute guide explains how the “Cre” can help individuals or groups to get countries to address human rights violations.
UN special procedures are independent specialists – often called special rapporteurs – and expert working groups, mandated to monitor and report on violations of human rights, and give advice to the UN and their member states on how to protect them.. This 5-minute IFEX guide is an introduction to a specific group of specialists – UN special rapporteurs and expert working groups – and how you can work with them to promote freedom of expression.
The UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal intergovernmental body dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Read this 5-minute IFEX guide to learn about ways to engage with Commission to promote gender equality in your freedom of expression advocacy work.
When it comes to human and civil rights, is your government living up to its obligations? You can help hold it accountable by engaging with the Human Rights Committee, a UN body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) puts each UN member state’s human rights record under the microscope every five years, but requires the active engagement of civil society to make the most of it. Read this 5-minute explainer to learn how you can participate and translate its outcomes into action on the ground.
The Open Government Partnership brings states together to make their governments more open, accountable, and responsive to citizens. Find out how civil society groups can be a part of it!
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is a crucial player in efforts to promote and protect human rights in the Americas region. Find out how you can use it to bolster your free expression advocacy.
The objective of this report is to contribute to a better understanding of State obligations aimed at guaranteeing, protecting, and facilitating public protests and demonstrations, as well as the standards that should frame the progressive use of force—and as a last resort—in protest contexts. The report stresses that demonstrators have the freedom to choose the mode, form, place, and message for peaceful protest, and States have the obligation to manage social conflict through dialogue.
[en]