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. |