As the violence in Israel and Palestine continues and the devastating humanitarian crisis deepens, ARTICLE 19 emphasises the need to protect freedom of expression and access to information for all.

Since the conflict began a reported 19 journalists have been killed, and many more face ongoing threats. We urgently call for both sides to respect international humanitarian law, in particular, the protection of civilians and the safety of journalists reporting on conflicts.

During this year’s United Nations Internet Governance Forum, Chantal Joris, Legal Officer at ARTICLE 19, moderated a session on the free flow of information during conflict.

Given that internet shutdowns, censorship requests, and disinformation campaigns now play a key role in armed conflicts, the panel – digital security and risk experts, campaigners, and disinformation researchers – highlighted the importance of understanding the legal standards that can be applied under international humanitarian and human rights laws. The panel debated Big Tech’s responsibilities during armed conflicts, emphasising the importance of clear and robust policies for governments and companies when handling digital content, and the need for carefully considered policy-making that takes account of local contexts. 

ARTICLE 19 shapes and sets standards on freedom of expression at the UN, informed by the local human rights priorities of our regional offices. We leverage UN human rights mechanisms to hold states to account for freedom of expression violations. This includes through the General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In turn, our national and international advocacy work assesses states' obligations and commitments to drive local change.

‘It’s an extremely difficult time for the UN,’ notes Anna Oosterlinck, ARTICLE 19’s Head of UN. ‘We are seeing more players than ever on the world stage vying for power and influence, while the rules governing the multilateral game are increasingly being undermined and weakened – not a great combination’.

Moreover, as the IGF came to a close, the UN issued a troubling announcement: Saudi Arabia will host next year’s meeting.

'By awarding the hosting of the annual IGF to Saudi Arabia, the United Nations makes a mockery of its stated goals of protecting press freedom and combating impunity for the killing of journalists, including goal 16.10 of the SDGs,’ a global network of civil society organisations warned. ‘This decision normalises violence and tacitly supports the shocking, repressive tactics used to keep people from challenging the powerful.’ ARTICLE 19 joined the collective call to the UN Secretary General to reverse the decision.

The UN still offers a unique platform to bring together local and national voices to find global solutions. But, it’s clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that the UN has an incredible amount of work to do and is in need of reform.

As a part of these reforms, ARTICLE 19 will monitor negotiations of the Global Digital Compact, the development of a voluntary Code of Conduct for information integrity on digital platforms. In our response to the Open Consultation, we set out that the Compact’s principles and commitments must be firmly grounded in human rights and reaffirm the core principle that the same rights that apply offline also apply online.

In particular, we are calling for all people to be connected to the internet, including children in classrooms; the protection of data, for restrictions on disinformation and hate speech to comply with existing international human rights standards; and for active regulation of artificial intelligence.

With regard to global AI governance and in advance of the first meeting of the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Body on AI, ARTICLE 19 is calling for the body to consider a human rights-centred framework – particularly as it relates to the right of freedom of expression.

Read the 10 points ARTICLE 19 submitted in our analysis of existing guidance, best practices, and risk areas on AI and freedom of expression

What resolutions did the UN Human Rights Council pass in the recent session?