Conference organised by the ACIL and the Institute for Information Law (IViR), Faculty of Law, UvA, with the collaboration of Human Rights Centre, University of Essex.

The Conference was organised with the generous financial support of: the Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (Department of Constitutional Affairs and Legislation), the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences (KNAW), the Faculty of Law, University of Amsterdam, and the University of Essex.

A report of the Conference will be made available in due course.

Background & Programme

  
Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has become a standard reference point for safeguarding the right to freedom of expression and has served as a model for comparable provisions in other treaties. This Conference aims to examine UN standards and to stimulate critical thinking about how the standards and mechanisms can be put to better effect, to ensure that the right to freedom of expression is more effective in practice.

The work of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression is of central importance in this regard. The timeliness of this Conference is further underscored by the fact that the UN Human Rights Committee is currently drafting a new General Comment on Article 19, ICCPR, with the aim of clarifying the scope of the right to freedom of expression under the Covenant.

The Conference brought together experts from the UN system, including the Human Rights Committee and other UN treaty bodies, UNESCO, and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, as well as experts from Ministries, NGOs and academic institutions.

Conference Objectives

• Stimulate critical thinking and debate about UN standards on freedom of expression;
• Identify selected challenges for the full realisation of the right to freedom of expression in practice, including technological and societal developments;
• Engage with pressing current issues concerning freedom of expression, in particular by examining how they are dealt with by relevant UN standards and mechanisms and examine their relevance for overcoming the identified challenges;
• Examine the extent to which the role of the (traditional and new) media in democratic society informs the interpretation of UN standards on freedom of expression;
• Contribute to the (ongoing) process of drafting a new General Comment on Article 19, ICCPR;
• Facilitate the continuation of the debate initiated by the expert conference by way of a post-conference publication and the provision of online resources on freedom of expression.

Organisation & Information

  
Conference organisers: 

- Dr. Yvonne Donders (ACIL)
- Dr. Tarlach McGonagle (Institute for Information Law, IViR)
- Prof. Kevin Boyle (Human Rights Centre, University of Essex)

For information please contact Martine van Trigt by email (acil-fdr@uva.nl).