On 17 July 2020, the Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted Resolution 44/20, on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests. In addition to urging greater respect for the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and closely connected rights, the Resolution called on the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association to “prepare a dedicated report on the protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests during crisis situations,” and to take account, in the course of preparing the report, of “the views of States, the Office of the High Commissioner, relevant United Nations (UN) agencies, in particular the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, UN human rights treaty bodies, regional human rights mechanisms, other relevant special procedure mandate holders, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders, such as law enforcement practitioners”.
In accordance with this resolution, the Special Rapporteur, Clément N. Voule, will present an additional thematic report to the 50th session of the HRC, addressing the protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests during crisis situations. The Special Rapporteur is keen to solicit and incorporate the views and insights of key stakeholders in this area.
Read below ECNL's submission to the Call for Inputs from the UN Special Rapporteur for this upcoming thematic report. Our analysis outlines concrete examples of challenges to the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly in
- military crises (e.g. war and armed conflict),
- humanitarian crises (e.g. relating to famine or food insecurity, mass displacement),
- terrorism,
- climate change,
- health crises (e.g. pandemics),
- socio-economic-political crises, and
- systemic discrimination against particular groups.