WUNRN
Regarding the important UN Meeting
of Experts on Freedom of Expression, and Religious Hatred, WUNRN asks: WHERE IS
GENDER?
______________________________________________________________________
COMMISSION
ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Sixty-first
session
Item
11 (e) of the provisional agenda
CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS, INDLUDING THE
QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE
Report
submitted by Asma Jahangir, UN Special Rapporteur
on
Freedom of Religion or Belief
WUNRN
notes in Report:
*Reference
to CEDAW
*11."In
particular, in the discharge of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur monitors
the compliance of States with their obligations as developed in resolution
2004/36. In conformity with international human rights standards, to take all
necessary action to combat hatred, intolerance and acts of violence,
intimidation and coercion motivated by intolerance based on religion or belief
with particular regard to religious minorities, and also to devote particular
attention to practices which violate the human rights of women and discriminate
against women, including in the exercise of their right to freedom of thought,
conscience, religion or belief."
______________________________________________________________________
Regarding the important UN Meeting of Experts on Freedom of
Expression, and Religious Hatred, WUNRN asks: WHERE IS GENDER?
The
above attached text of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or
Belief, referring to WOMEN and freedom of religion or belief, indicates the
clear significance of gender for issues regarding hatred,
intolerance, religious discrimination +. Indeed, the Special
Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief was one of the Distinguished
Experts presenting a paper at the very recent World Expert Meeting on Freedom
of Expression and Religious Hatred..
As
human rights are considered indivisible, and with the intersectionality of
human rights, might also the high level discussions on Freedom of Expression
and Religious Hatred, minorities, ethnic groups, racial discrimination, and
more, include absolute and defined attention to the gender dimensions that
are powerful components of these freedoms.
WUNRN
also notes that Article 18 of the ICCPR protects Freedom of Religion or Belief,
and thus Belief would also be a factor of the discussions of Freedom of
Expression, Tolerance, Respect, Religious Hatred, even Peace.
WUNRN,
the Women's UN Report Network - http://www.wunrn.com
- is based on the United Nations Study on Freedom of Religion or Belief
and the Status of Women >From the Viewpoint of Religion and Traditions - E/CN.4/2002/73/Add.2
_____________________________________________________________________
World Experts Meet
to Discuss Freedom of Expression and Advocacy of Religious Hatred
Twelve experts from around the world participated in a ground-breaking seminar intended to clarify the links between articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on freedom of expression and advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
“Let us be
clear about the stakes in our discussion,” said High Commissioner for Human
Rights Navi Pillay as she opened the seminar on 2 October. “By addressing
possible limitations to a fundamental right, this seminar also tests whether
our commitment to the full and interdependent set of human rights is truly
genuine, and not expediently used in the pursuit of political agendas.”
She emphasized that “that human rights are genuinely universal and deeply rooted in all civilizations and cultures. They are not the product and the exclusive preserve of specific doctrines and traditions. Nowhere is this idea more important than in the discussion about freedom of expression and its possible limitations.”
Martin Uhomoibhi, President of the Human Rights Council, told the participants in the seminar “It is obvious that one of the most critical challenges facing all governments the world over today is how best to ensure the full enjoyment of freedom of expression and combating incitement to religious hatred. We need to address it outside the Council so that we are better prepared to deal with it.”
One of the 12 participating experts, Special Rapporteur on the freedom of religion or belief Asma Jahangir, said there was a clear understanding among the experts that governments should take action in cases of advocacy of religious hatred that constituted incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
“Whatever action is taken, that must not subvert the overall respect for the freedom of speech,” she told journalists attending a press briefing.
One of the clear messages that came out of the two-day discussion was that governments already have at their disposal various tools and capacities which should be used to build a tolerant society, such as education, interfaith dialogue and intercultural exchanges, Jahangir explained.
It was hoped the seminar would “create a deeper understanding of how national laws could conform to international law so that human rights could be respected all around,” she said.
Agnès Callamard, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19, a civil society group that promote and defends freedom of expression agreed with Jahangir, saying that “One of the key aspects reiterated throughout the meeting from a wide range of experts coming from very different disciplines and traditions was indeed the interdependence and indivisibility of human rights, particularly freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, and, indeed, article 20 which is about [the prohibition of] hate speech and incitement to hatred.”
Over 200 observers including representatives from Governments, other UN agencies, regional organizations, the media and non-governmental organizations also took part in the seminar.
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http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/opinion/articles1920_iccpr/experts_papers.htm
Expert seminar on the links between articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):
Freedom of expression and advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence
EXPERTS PAPERS
Click website link to see individual Expert Papers.
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