On June 20, 2012, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Maina Kiai, presented his inaugural report to the UN Human Rights Council. The report identifies best practices related to the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and proposes a set of recommendations and best practices in relation to the exercise of those rights. The Special Rapporteur called on all governments and the international community to further promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, “violated or at risk in a number of countries.”
ICNL and ECNL contributed to the work of the UN Special Rapporteur through a number of activities, including hosting an ICNL Research Fellow who reports to the UN Special Rapporteur. ICNL and ECNL attended the 20th session of the HRC where the report is presented. In addition, on June 22, 2012, ICNL co-sponsored an event with the UN Special Rapporteur on these issues. At this event, ICNL and the World Movement for Democracy presented an updated version of the Defending Civil Society report.