Human Rights Council

HRC34: Why is it important for internet rights?
HRC34: Why is it important for internet rights? 21 April 2017 Deborah Brown

The Human Rights Council 34th session wrapped up at the end of last month. As we noted in our pre-session briefing, a number of internet-related human rights issues were on the agenda, ranging from a new resolution on the right to privacy in the digital age, to the renewal of mandates of Special Rapporteurs who play a key role in protecting human rights online. Here are some highlights of outcomes relating to internet rights at the session.

HRC 34: Oral statement delivered by APC during the Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children
HRC 34: Oral statement delivered by APC during the Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy and the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children 08 March 2017

The Association for Progressive Communications welcomes the opportunity to participate in this interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy.

HRC 34: "International borders are not zones of exclusion or exception for human  rights obligations"
HRC 34: "International borders are not zones of exclusion or exception for human rights obligations" 08 March 2017

In the oral statement delivered by APC’s Deborah Brown, APC manifested its concerns over reports that the United States government is demanding visitors provide access to their electronic devices as well as passcodes to those devices and online accounts at points of entry.

Internet rights at the Human Rights Council 34th session
Internet rights at the Human Rights Council 34th session 24 February 2017 Deborah Brown (APC); Elena Goldstein and Peter Micek (Access Now)

The 34th session of the Human Rights Council will take place from 27 February to 24 March 2017 in Geneva. Internet rights remain at the forefront of the HRC agenda, with the Council scheduled to debate a new resolution on the right to privacy in the digital age.

Internet rights at the Human Rights Council 34th session
Internet rights at the Human Rights Council 34th session 23 February 2017 Deborah Brown (APC); Elena Goldstein and Peter Micek (Access Now)

At the HRC 34th session, internet rights remain at the forefront of the agenda, with the Council scheduled to discuss the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy's report on oversight of government surveillance programmes and to debate a new resolution on the right to privacy in the digital age.

Joint written statement submitted by APC to the 34th session of the Human Rights Council: Freedom of expression and religion in Asia
Joint written statement submitted by APC to the 34th session of the Human Rights Council: Freedom of expression and religion in Asia 16 February 2017 APC, Bytes for All, Pakistan, Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) and Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (EMPOWER)

APC and the organisations supporting this joint statement welcome the appointment of Dr. Ahmed Shaheed as the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and his report to be presented at the 34th session of the Human Rights Council.

APC welcomes landmark HRC resolution condemning threats to women journalists and restrictions on encryption
APC welcomes landmark HRC resolution condemning threats to women journalists and restrictions on encryption 29 September 2016 APC

APC welcomes the adoption of the safety of journalists resolution, in particular its condemnation of the specific attacks on women journalists in their work, and commends the HRC for becoming the first UN body to call on states to not interfere with the use of encryption and anonymity tools.

The question of the day: How to protect human rights online while countering violent extremism?
The question of the day: How to protect human rights online while countering violent extremism? 26 September 2016 Deborah Brown and Rafik Dammak

Among the more than a dozen reports from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that were discussed last week at the Human Rights Council (HRC), one addressed a topic very relevant to internet policy and regulation: how to protect and promote human rights while preventing and countering violent extremism. Aside from being one of the most significant challenges to the enjoyment of human right...

Internet rights at the Human Rights Council 33rd session
Internet rights at the Human Rights Council 33rd session 13 September 2016 Deborah Brown (APC) and Peter Micek and Christy Provines (Access Now)

The 33nd session of the Human Rights Council (HRC33) is taking place from 12 to 30 September 2016 in Geneva. This session will consider the human rights situations in a number of countries including Syria, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, Sudan and Somalia, among others. In many of these countries human rights violations extend to the online environment, through filtering o...

Pakistan's human rights record under scrutiny at the Human Rights Committee
Pakistan's human rights record under scrutiny at the Human Rights Committee 01 September 2016 APC, Bytes for All, Pakistan and Media Matters for Democracy

The manner in which the government of Pakistan orchestrated the forceful enactment of the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 is demonstrative of its blatant disregard for human rights and due process.

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