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	Some governments target journalists, human rights defenders as ‘extremists’ or ‘terrorists’ by United Nations News, agencies   Countering violent extremism, a ‘perfect excuse’ to restrict free speech and control the media – UN expert highlights on World Press Freedom Day, 3 May 2016   The United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye, today warned that efforts to counter ‘violent extremism’ can be the ‘perfect excuse’ for democratic and authoritarian governments around the world to restrict free expression and seek to control access to information.   While recognizing that it is essential for governments and non-state actors to counter violence and its incitement, Mr. Kaye and his counterparts from the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) raise concerns in their annual Joint Declaration* that programmes to counter ‘violent extremism’ (CVE or PVE programmes) risk undermining freedom of expression.   “By ‘balancing’ freedom of expression and the prevention of violence, the programmes and initiatives aimed at countering ‘violent extremism’ have – often purposely, sometimes inadvertently – put at risk or curtailed the independence of media,” the UN expert said on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.   “So-called CVE or PVE programmes must be based on a legal framework and on evidence of their effectiveness and their necessity and proportionality to achieve legitimate objectives,” Mr. Kaye stressed.   The human rights expert noted that most CVE programmes fail to provide definitions for key terms, such as ‘extremism’ or ‘radicalization’. “In the absence of a clear definition, these terms can be used to restrict a wide range of lawful expression,” he said.   “Some governments target journalists, bloggers, political dissidents, activists and human rights defenders as ‘extremists’ or ‘terrorists’, criminalizing and detaining them, using legal systems to counter broad and unclear offences,” Mr. Kaye warned. “The harm is felt not only by journalists but also by their audiences, the public that deserves the right to know and to access information of public interest.”   The Special Rapporteur also cautioned that CVE-inspired efforts – including content removal, surveillance, the blaming of security tools like encryption – risk undermining the potential of digital technologies to foster freedom of expression and access to information and to provide avenues for counter-speech.   “Freedom of expression plays a critical role in promoting equality and in combating intolerance, and the role the media, the Internet and other digital technologies play in keeping society informed is essential,” Mr. Kaye said.   For the UN Special Rapporteur, “limiting the space for freedom of expression and restricting civic space advances the goals of those promoting, threatening and using terrorism and violence.”   The Joint Declaration on freedom of expression and countering violent extremism, by Mr. Kaye; Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media; Edison Lanza, IACHR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression; and Pansy Tlakula, ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information is available here:   http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=19915&LangID=E http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomOpinion/Pages/OpinionIndex.aspx   May 2016   United Nations officials have highlighted the dependency of human rights, democratic societies and sustainable development on the free flow of information and press freedom, stressing that these fundamental rights are vital in providing information to citizens around the world and for progress itself.   “Press freedom and the free flow of information are necessary not only to inform citizens about the [Sustainable Development] Goals, but to enable them to hold their leaders accountable for fulfilling the pledges they have made,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message marking World Press Freedom Day, which is observed on 3 May each year.   “The media – including, and increasingly, new online media – serve as our eyes and ears. We all benefit from the information they provide,” he added.   In particular, Mr. Ban emphasized that human rights, democratic societies and sustainable development depend on the free flow of information, and that the right to information depends on press freedom.   Each year, World Press Freedom Day is observed to emphasize these fundamental principles, to protect the independence of the media, and to honour media workers who risk and have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession, the Secretary-General said.   The UN General Assembly designated 3 May as World Press Freedom Day in 1993. It aims to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; to evaluate press freedom around the world; to defend the media from attacks on their independence; and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. This year''s theme for World Press Freedom Day is ''Access to information and fundamental freedoms – this is your right!''   In his message, the UN chief highlighted that this year, World Press Freedom Day coincides with three important milestones. It is the 250th anniversary of the world''s first freedom of information law, covering both modern-day Sweden and Finland, and it is the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Windhoek Declaration of press freedom principles. In addition, 2016 is also the first year of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   Mr. Ban also said that he is very concerned about the increasingly restrictive environment for media workers in many countries, stressing that “constraints on freedom of expression place shackles on progress itself.”   “A free, independent and safe media environment is essential. Yet, all too often, journalists are threatened, harassed, obstructed or even killed in the pursuit of information. Many languish in detention, some in appalling conditions, for shedding light on governance failures, corporate malfeasance or societal problems,” the Secretary-General said.   He urged all Governments, politicians, businesses and citizens to commit to nurturing and protecting an independent, free media.   “Without this fundamental right, people are less free and less empowered. With it, we can work together for a world of dignity and opportunity for all,” Mr. Ban said.   Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), stressed that access to information is a fundamental freedom and part of the basic human right to freedom of expression.   “Receiving and imparting information, is a cornerstone of democracy, good governance, and rule of law,” she said.   Ms. Bokova noted that this past year, the world had agreed on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to guide all efforts over the next 15 years to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity and lasting peace for all. The new SDGs include a target on public access to information and the protection of fundamental freedoms – two interrelated objectives that are key accelerators of progress across all of the new agenda, she stressed.   “At this time of turbulence and change across the world, including new challenges that require global cooperation and action, the need for quality information has never been so important – this requires a strong environment of press freedom and well-functioning systems to ensure the people''s right to know,” the Director-General said.   http://en.unesco.org/world-press-freedom-day-2016 http://www.ipsnews.net/topics/world-press-freedom-day-2016/ http://ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/en/contents/world-press-freedom-day-3-may-2016-journalism-must-take-a-lead-in-countering-hate-speech-and-propaganda http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/05/deadly-job-journalism-mexico-160504045232071.html http://rsf.org/ http://dartcenter.org/ http://www.internews.org/ http://www.icij.org/ Visit the related web page
	States urged to act against racial profiling and incitement to racial hatred by Mutuma Ruteere Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism   UN human rights experts are calling on governments around the world to take action now to stop fear and misinformation about minorities and migrants which are fuelling increasing incitement to racial hatred and racial profiling.   In a statement marking International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March), the experts on racial discrimination say a number of measures are needed immediately including anti-racism training for police and judiciary as well as steps to eliminate institutional racism.   “Political leaders and media voices that stigmatize certain ethnic groups, migrants and refugees as prone to criminality or terrorism, or as responsible for economic malaise, encourage racial contempt that can provoke prejudice, discrimination and even verbal and physical violence,” the experts said.   “This chain of cause and effect has become all too clear, given the rising incidence of racist hate crimes in countries where minorities and migrants face increasingly hostile rhetoric,” they stressed.   The experts are also warning that differences in the treatment of people of African descent and other minorities in the law enforcement and criminal justice systems are not only ineffective, but pernicious.   They say racial profiling breaches the basic right of individuals targeted thereby denying them equal protection of the law, and are urging Member States to seriously address the structural racism such people already suffer on account of their ethnicity or minority status.   “When this discrimination is normalized, it exacts an increasingly heavy toll, as targeted individuals risk internalizing a sense of stigma and marginalization. More broadly, disproportionately high criminal conviction rates and penalties for minorities erode their trust in government institutions and reinforce the discrimination they experience,” the experts said.   “In recent years, counter-terrorism and anti-drug measures have resulted in an increased reliance on racial profiling. Economic crises in various countries have only exacerbated existing discrimination, and migrants and minority groups are being penalized through hostility, discrimination, and even violence,” the human rights experts emphasized.   They want Governments to conduct human rights and anti-racism training for law enforcement and criminal justice authorities including police officers, prison staff, immigration and asylum officers, and judges. They are also urging the collection and public reporting of disaggregated data on minorities in policing and criminal justice systems.   The experts also want to see the establishment and enforcement of laws with appropriate penalties for criminal offences motivated by racial discrimination; the elimination of institutional racial bias through strong guarantees in the justice system, together with enforcement mechanisms and remedies.   They are stressing that grassroots programs should be implemented to counter misinformation and racism, foster dialogue between different cultures, and build societies of mutual trust and respect.   “Governments must make sure that minorities, including migrants and refugees, are treated as equals and are fully integrated in society, through access to housing, healthcare, education, and social services,” the experts concluded.   (*) The experts in this statement: The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent; Mr. Mutuma Ruteere, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.   The elimination of racial discrimination must remain a priority. (FRA, ODIHR, ECRI)   On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the heads of Europe’s main intergovernmental human rights institutions call for a strong response to xenophobic attacks against migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, and call on governments and state authorities to uphold their international obligations in this regard.   With the drownings in the Mediterranean persisting as refugees, asylum seekers and migrants continue to risk their lives to reach safety, this is the time to strengthen our commitment to the right to life and to dignity, said Michael O’Flaherty, Director of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Michael Georg Link, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Christian Ahlund, Chair of the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).   "As Europe confronts the greatest migrant crisis since the Second World War, the elimination of racial discrimination is a priority like never before," said FRA Director Michael O’Flaherty. "Our continent needs to eradicate every vestige of exclusion and marginalisation of the outsider if it is to rise to the challenge. The international treaties to combat racism provide the necessary roadmap."   In a number of countries, there has been a marked increase in attacks on refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, some of which have been fatal. Hate speech rooted in hostility to ethnic, religious and cultural diversity is being expressed ever more openly, not only by extremist groups but also by politicians from across the political spectrum and on social media.   Such rhetoric fuels intolerance towards ethnic and religious minorities, making immediate and resolute action by governments and state authorities all the more urgent.   "Past experience has shown that democracy can be undermined and swept aside where calls to deny the right to equality and dignity of the most vulnerable are listened to and acted upon,” said ECRI’s Chair, Christian Ahlund. “Therefore, discouraging and preventing hate speech through demonstrating the danger that it poses and through counter-speech is of the utmost importance."   In order to combat the further spread of prejudice, human rights education and training that reaches out to all age groups and professions is vital.   "In the current situation, reaffirming our commitment to the values and principles of tolerance, equality and non-discrimination is crucial," said Michael Link, director of the OSCE/ODIHR.   "We have a duty to condemn hate crimes and all other manifestations of racism and xenophobia, respond swiftly and effectively to intolerant behaviour, and to counter hate speech in the messages we deliver. This has to be accompanied by a particular emphasis on awareness-raising and other educational initiatives aimed at countering racist messages and promoting mutual understanding."   The heads of all three organisations call for greater efforts at the international, national and local levels to combat racism and discrimination, and pledge to continue their cooperation to maximise endeavours in this regard.   http://fra.europa.eu/en/theme/racism-related-intolerances/press-releases http://bit.ly/2nwqew7 http://minorityrights.org/ http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-day-for-the-elimination-of-racial-discrimination/ http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/fight-against-discrimination/ http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CERD/50/Pages/Icerd50.aspx http://bit.ly/1S6Wuyd http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CERD.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/NelsonMandela.aspx http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/PanelOnToleranceAndReconciliation.aspx Visit the related web page
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