WUNRN
UN Special Rapporteur on the
Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
____________________________________________________________
United
Nations A/HRC/RES/23/2
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Human Rights Council - Twenty-Third Session - 23/2.
THE ROLE OF FREEDOM OF OPINION AND EXPRESSION IN WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT
A/HRC/RES/23/2 - 24 June 2013 - Original:
English
Recalling further General Assembly resolutions relating to the issue of
women’s empowerment, including resolutions 66/130 of 19 December 2011, on women
and political participation, and 66/216 o f 22 December 2011, on women in
development, and the agreed conclusions of the Commission on the Status of
Women,1
Reaffirming articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Reaffirming
also that women and men have the right to enjoy, on an equal basis, all
their human rights and fundamental freedoms, Recognizing that the
effective exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, as
enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is essential for the enjoyment of other
human rights and freedoms, and constitutes a fundamental pillar for building a
democratic society and strengthening democracy, bearing in mind that all human
rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, Recognizing
also how advances in information and communications technologies have
enabled women to initiate or enhance their participation in political,
economic, cultural and social life,
Recognizing further the important contributions that women have made
towards the achievement of representative, transparent and accountable
government in many countries, Acknowledging the important role of women
journalists and women human rights defenders in the exercise, promotion and
protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and, in this
context, expressing concern at the risks faced by these women in the exercise
of their work,
Stressing the critical importance of women’s political participation in all contexts, including in times of peace and of conflict and at all stages of political transition, concerned that many obstacles still prevent women from participating in political life on equal terms with men, and noting in that regard that situations of political transition may provide a unique opportunity to address such obstacles,
Recognizing the essential contributions that women around the
world continue to make to the achievement and maintenance of international
peace and security and to the full realization of all human rights, to the
promotion of democracy, sustainable development and economic growth, and to the
eradication of poverty, hunger and disease,
Highly concerned that women in every part of the world, including women belonging to racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities and indigenous women, continue to be marginalized from the political, economic, cultural and social spheres, often as a result of discrimination, unequal access to education, lack of access to health care, the disproportionate effect of poverty on women, and violence against women and girls,
1. Affirms the fundamental role that
freedom of opinion and expression plays in the ability of women to interact
with society at large, in particular in the realms of economic and political
participation, and reaffirms that the active participation of women, on equal
terms with men, at all levels of decision-making, is essential to the
achievement of equality, sustainable development, peace and democracy;
2. Expresses deep concern that
discrimination, intimidation, harassment and violence, including in public
spaces, often prevent women and girls from enjoying fully their human rights
and fundamental freedoms, including their right to freedom of opinion and
expression, which hinders their full participation in economic, social,
cultural and political affairs;
3. Calls upon all States:
(a) To promote, respect and ensure women’s exercise of freedom of opinion and expression, both online and offline, including as members of non-governmental organizations and other associations;
(b) To ensure that women and girls exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression are not discriminated against, particularly in employment, housing, the justice system, social services and education;
(c) To facilitate the full,
equal and effective participation and free communication of all women at all
levels of decision-making in their societies and in national, regional and
international institutions, including in the mechanisms for the prevention,
management and resolution of conflicts;
(d) To facilitate equal participation
in, access to and use of information and communications technology, such as the
Internet, applying a gender perspective, and to encourage international
cooperation aimed at the development of media and information and communication
facilities in all countries;
(e) To provide women and girls with
access to effective remedies for violations of their right to freedom of
opinion and expression, and to ensure that there is no impunity for
gender-based violence, including sexual violence, used to intimidate women and
girls who are exercising their right to freedom of opinion and expression;
4. Invites the Special Rapporteur on
the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
to include in his reports an analysis of the role of freedom of opinion and
expression in improving women’s participation in political, social, cultural
and economic life and in advancing gender equality, as well as an analysis of
the challenges that women face in exercising their freedom of opinion and
expression.
13 June 2013
[Adopted without a vote.]