【人權訊息】和平集會和結社自由Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association （聯合國人權事務高級專員辦事處Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights）

和平集會與結社自由權利問題特別報告員

歷史背景

和平集會與結社自由權問題特別報告員

馬伊納•吉埃先生

©聯合國圖片/ Jean-Marc Ferré

2010年十月，人權理事會通過了第15/21號決議，該決議：

• “重申每個人享有和平集會和結社自由權利，不得迫使任何人隸屬於某一團體，
• 承認和平集會和結社自由權利對充分享有公民和政治權利、經濟、社會和文化權利的重要性，
• 還承認和平集會和結社自由權利是民主的基本組成部分，為每個人提供了無價的機會，使得個人除其他外能夠表達他們的政治觀點、從事文學藝術活動，
• 進一步承認，除在國際法、特別在國際人權法允許的限制之下外沒有其他限制地行使和平集會和結社自由權利，是充分享有這些權利――特別在個人可能支持少數或者支持有異議的宗教或者政治觀點時――所必不可少的。”

在2012年10月，人權理事會通過第21/16號決議（2012年10月）和第24/5號決議（2013年10月）再次承諾促進和保護和平集會和結社自由的權利，並通過了第21/16號決議，，其中特別包括：

在2012年10月，人權理事會再次承諾促進和保護和平集會和結社自由的權利，並通過了，其中特別包括：

• “重申新的信息和通信技術在促進和便利享有和平集會和結社自由權利方面起著重要作用，所有國家都必須促進和便利使用互聯網，為在所有國家發展媒體及信息和通信設施而開展國際合作，
• 確認和平集會和結社自由的重要性以及民間社會對於通過透明和問責的辦法貫徹良政的重要性，而這些對於建設和平、繁榮的民主社會是必不可少的，
• [聲明]認識到民間社會積極參與影響到人民生活的管理進程至關重要，
• 提醒各國，它們有義務尊重和充分保護所有個人在線和離線的和平集會和自由結社權利，包括在選舉時的此種權利，並包括支持少數或者不同見解和信仰的人、人權維護者、工會組織者以及包括移徙者在內的其他力圖行使或增進這些權利的人，並採取所有必要的措施確保任何有關自由行使和平集會和結社自由權利的限制符合其根據國際人權法所承擔的各項義務；
• 對侵犯和平集會和結社自由權利的行為表示關切；
• 強調和平集會和結社自由權利對於民間社會的關鍵作用，並確認民間社會有助於促進實現聯合國的宗旨和原則；
• 強調尊重民間社會的和平集會和結社自由權利有利於處理和解決社會所面臨的重大挑戰和問題，如環境、​​可持續發展、防止犯罪、人口販運、婦女賦權、社會正義、保護消費者以及落實所有人權等；
• 再次籲請各國同和平集會和結社自由權利問題特別報告員充分合作，協助其履行任務；

任務

第15/21號決議確立了和平集會和結社自由權利問題特別報告員的任務，起始任期為三年，可延長一次。

第24/5號決議將特別報告員的任務再延長三年。

特別報告員在人權理事會第15/21號決議中得到任命：

• 收集有關促進和保護和平集會和結社自由權利方面的資料，包括國家做法和經驗，研究有關行使這些權利的趨勢、發展和挑戰，為確保促進和保護各種各樣的和平集會和結社自由權利，就方式方法提出建議；
• 全面參照理事會內現有的有關工作要點，在其第一份報告中詳細研擬一個任務負責人可據以考慮促進和保護和平集會和結社自由權利——包括國家做法和經驗——的最佳做法的框架，包括尋求國家意見；
• 為了促進與保護和平集會和結社自由權利，向具有此類事項知識的政府、非政府組織、有關利益攸關者和其他各方徵求和獲得信息，並對這些信息做出反應；
• 將性別問題融入整個任務工作之中；
• 為了更好地促進和保護和平集會和結社自由權利，協助人權高專辦提供的技術援助或諮詢服務；
• 凡是侵犯和平集會和結社自由權利的行為，以及直接針對行使這些權利者的歧視、武力威脅或使用武力、騷擾、迫害、恐嚇或者報復的行為，無論發生在何處，都要進行匯報，對於特別嚴重的局勢要提請理事會和人權高專辦注意；
• 在開展其活動時，要確保其目前的職責任務不包括國際勞工組織及其專門監督機制和程序有關職工和工人結社自由權利的具體職責範圍的事項，以避免任何重複；
• 與理事會的其他機制、聯合國其他有關主管機構及各​​人權條約機構進行協調地開展工作，並採取所有必要的措施避免與這些機制的不必要的重複；

工作方法

特別報告員在執行其任務時：

• 向成員國遞交有關被指侵犯和平集會和/或結社自由權的緊急呼籲和指控信；
• 開展國家訪問調查情況；
• 遞交年度報告，介紹有關人權理事會的任務的活動（第一份報告將在2012年6月發表）；
• 公開參與受關注的問題，包括通過新聞稿。

In October 2010, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 15/21 in which it:

• “Reaffirm[ed] that everyone has the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and that no one may be compelled to belong to an association;
• Recognizi[ed] the importance of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association to the full enjoyment of civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights;
• Recogniz[ed] also that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are essential components of democracy, providing individuals with invaluable opportunities to, inter alia, express their political opinions, engage in literary and artistic pursuits; and
• Recogniz[ed] further that exercising the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association free of restrictions, subject only to the limitations permitted by international law, in particular international human rights law, is indispensable to the full enjoyment of these rights, particularly where individuals may espouse minority or dissenting religious or political beliefs”.

The Human Rights Council renewed its commitment to promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, by adopting resolution 21/16 (October 2012) and resolution 24/5 (October 2013), in which it inter alia:

• “Reiterat[ed] the important role of new information and communications technologies in enabling and facilitating the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and the importance for all States to promote and facilitate access to the Internet and international cooperation aimed at the development of media and information and communications facilities in all countries;
• Recogniz[ed] the importance of the freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association, as well as the importance of civil society, to good governance, including through transparency and accountability, which is indispensible for building peaceful, prosperous and democratic societies;
• [Declared itself a]ware of the crucial importance of active involvement of civil society in processes of governance that affect the life of people;
• Remind[ed] States of their obligation to respect and fully protect the rights of all individuals to assemble peacefully and associate freely, online as well as offline, including in the context of elections, and including persons espousing minority or dissenting views or beliefs, human rights defenders, trade unionists and others, including migrants, seeking to exercise or to promote these rights, and to take all necessary measures to ensure that any restrictions on the free exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law;
• Expresse[d] concern at violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association;
• Emphasize[d] the critical role of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for civil society, and recognizes that civil society facilitates the achievement of the purposes and principles of the United Nations;
• Stresse[d] that respect for the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, in relation to civil society, contributes to addressing and resolving challenges and issues that are important to society, such as the environment, sustainable development, crime prevention, human trafficking, empowering women, social justice, consumer protection and the realization of all human rights; and
• Call[ed] upon States to continue to cooperate fully with and assist the Special Rapporteur in the performance of his mandate, to respond promptly to his urgent appeals and other communications and to consider favourably his requests for visits”.

Mandate

Resolution 15/21 established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, for an initial period of three years. The mandate-holder serves for an initial period of three years, renewable once.

Resolution 24/5 extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a period of three years.

The Special Rapporteur is mandated by resolution 15/21:

• To gather all relevant information, including national practices and experiences, relating to the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, to study trends, developments andchallenges in relation to the exercise of these rights, and to make recommendations on ways and means to ensure the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in all their manifestations;
• To incorporate in his or her first report an elaboration of the framework, including seeking the views of States, through which the mandate holder will consider best practices, including national practices and experiences, that promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, taking into account in a comprehensive manner the relevant elements of work available within the Council;
• To seek, receive and respond to information from Governments, nongovernmental organizations, relevant stakeholders and any other parties who have knowledge of these matters, with a view to promoting and protecting the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association;
• To integrate a gender perspective throughout the work of the mandate;
• To contribute to the provision of technical assistance or advisory services by the Office of the High Commissioner to better promote and protect the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association;
• To report on violations, wherever they may occur, of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, as well as discrimination, threats or use of violence, harassment, persecution, intimidation or reprisals directed at persons exercising these rights, and to draw the attention of the Council and the High Commissioner to situations of particularly serious concern;
• To undertake his o or her activities such that the present mandate will not include those matters of specific competence of the International Labour Organization and its specialized supervisory mechanisms and procedures with respect to employers’ and workers’ rights to freedom of association, with a view to avoiding any duplication; and
• To work in coordination with other mechanisms of the Council, other competent United Nations bodies and human rights treaty bodies, and to take all necessary measures to avoid unnecessary duplication with those mechanisms.

Working methods

In the discharge of his mandate, the Special Rapporteur:

• Submits annual reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly;
• Undertakes fact-finding country visits;
• Transmits urgent appeals and allegation letters to Member States on alleged violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association; and
• Engages publicly on issues of concern, including through press releases and participation in various events.