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United Nations Special Rapporteur and Independent Expert Reports often include themes, even excerpts, that can be used to advantage in advocacy on women's and girls human rights. Though in more formal language, they can be quoted and leveraged for NGO and civil society activism. Even if the texts don't specifiy women, or gender, the issues of human rights and social justice reflect and can apply to all, without discrimination, vulnerabilities, or marginalization.

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Full Press Release Document: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13704&LangID=E

 

UN INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC & EQUITABLE INTERNATIONAL ORDER

CALLS FOR CONCRETE PROTECTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY VOICES, INCLUDING "WHISTLEBLOWERS"

 

GENEVA (11 September 2013) – The United Nations Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, Alfred de Zayas, urged Governments worldwide to provide concrete and adequate protection to support civil society’s voices and to ensure transparency and accountability in decision-making processes.

“A democratic and equitable international order cannot be achieved as long as civil society actors continue to be subjected to intimidation, harassment and violence, and individuals are denied the right to participate in the conduct of public affairs,” Mr. de Zayas said during the presentation of his second report* to the UN Human Rights Council.

According to the human rights expert, “access to truthful and reliable information from diverse sources, including from free media, both offline and on the Internet, is essential to people so that they can develop their own opinions and effectively take part in the conduct of public affairs.”

“Specific protection must be granted to human rights defenders and whistleblowers who have in some contexts been accused of being unpatriotic, whereas they perform, in reality, a democratic service to their countries and to the enjoyment of human rights of their compatriots,” he stressed.

“I am dismayed that notwithstanding lip service to democracy, too many Governments seem to forget that in a democracy, it is the people who are sovereign,” said the Independent Expert, who analyses in his report a series of obstacles to public participation in global decision-making...........

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Website of the UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IntOrder/Pages/IEInternationalorderIndex.aspx

Additional Explanation of the IE Mandate and People's Rights for a Democratic and Equitable International Order:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IntOrder/Pages/mandate.aspx

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Link to Full Text of the Independent Expert's 43-Page Report to the UN 2013:

http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/IntOrder/A-HRC-24-38_en.pdf- Type size larger for easier reading.

See Excerpts Below.

14. In a democracy, it is the people who are sovereign. Therefore, with regard to the promotion of democracy at the local, country and regional levels, civil society must have a stronger voice in all political processes. The situation in some countries is grave, since freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, and free and fair elections, are not ensured; opposition leaders are arrested or killed; journalists, whistleblowers and bloggers are harassed, intimidated and detained; public demonstrations are prohibited; peaceful demonstrators massacred, elections are reduced to masquerades, etc. Several Rapporteurs have documented these violations,7 the Human Rights Council has adopted pertinent resolutions, and the Human Rights Committee has adopted important jurisprudence thereon.

56. Concerning participation at the domestic level:

(e) States should ensure access to public information90 and repeal legislation that is incompatible with articles 18 and 19 ICCPR; in particular, blasphemy and memory laws and any laws that hinder open discussion of political and historical events. States should refrain from misusing anti-terror legislation to intimidate and suppress dissent and thus undermine participation in the democratic process.91 States should ensure freedom of expression online and refrain from censorship except for reasons of health and morals.

(f) States should never impose reprisals against human rights defenders and repeal laws that hinder the right to peaceful assembly in public and private spheres, impose unreasonable fines or imprisonment on demonstrators, or restrict the right to association and collective bargaining.

(g) States should ensure accountability of all State organs,

Recommendations to Civil Society and Human Rights Institutions

58. Article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates, “Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.” The Independent Expert is aware that in many countries there is little space for civil society to operate and articulate legitimate demands. Nevertheless, he encourages civil society to:

(a) Take on this challenge as a civic duty and reclaim its rights, demand consultation and effective participation in decision-making, reliable opinion polling and referenda as a right, in particular on matters of State-ordered surveillance, which affects civil and political rights, and on matters of retrogression93 in social services, including “austerity measures”, privatization of essential public responsibilities, etc. Civil society should take advantage of new digital technologies and social media to revitalize democracy, e.g. by demanding social services, regulation of the financial markets, denouncing war mongering and human rights violations;

(b) Invoke United Nations procedures, including the new Optional Protocol to ICESCR. They should call their representatives to account and engage domestic and international tribunals, including regional instances of examination and settlement, and United Nations treaty bodies;

(c) Engage in peaceful resistance against structural violence imposed on them by governments and corporations. The right to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association should be invoked in order to restore democratic participation94;

(d) Insist on accountability of government officials and expose violations of human rights by their governments. In particular, civil society should investigate and take action on the revelations by whistleblowers, when it becomes apparent that democratically elected governments have acted or are acting ultra vires and in contravention of international law, including United Nations human rights treaties, and the 1949 Geneva Conventions and 1977 Additional Protocols. Civil society should reject impunity for crimes committed by their political leaders and for white-collar crimes of financiers and corporate magnates;