Three UN Special Rapporteurs address the 7th CD Ministerial Conference
May 16, 2013
In a joint statement presented to the participants of the 7th Ministerial Conference of the Community of Democracies, three UN Special Rapporteurs called on the CD Participating States to make every effort to advance issues pertaining to the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly, and association in all human rights arenas.
Maina Kiai, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, presented the joint statement during the High-Level Segment of the Ministerial Conference, at the session dedicated to threats against civil society and freedom of expression.
“We stress that the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association are essential components of democracy and indispensable to the full enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights” said Kiai, in the name of Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue, and Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya.
Together, the three Rapporteurs called on the gathered states to ensure endorsement of human rights and participation of civil society in the discussion on the post-2015 Development Agenda.
Read the full statement.
