Freedom of Expression

2004

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR

FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION 2004

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INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER I    GENERAL REPORTS

 A.         Mandate and competence of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression

 B.         The Office of the Special Rapporteur’s principal activities 

                       1.         Promotion and dissemination activities

                       2.         Presentation to the organs of the Organization of American States

                       3.         Publications

 CHAPTER II   THE SITUATION OF THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IN THE HEMISPHERE

A.         Introduction and methodology

 B.         Evaluation

 C.        Situation of the freedom of expression in the Member States

 D.        Murders of media workers

CHAPTER III  JURISPRUDENCE

 A. Summary of the recent jurisprudence on freedom of expression of the United Nations Human Rights Committee

1.         Introduction

2.       Cases under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

a.         Criminal defamation

b.         Access to judical information

c.         Censorship

d.         Access to public fora and media for demonstration or dissent

e.         Political participation

B. Domestic jurisprudence of the Member States

1.         Introduction

a.         Right of access to information

b.         Criminal defamation and public officials

c.         Confidentiality of journalistic sources

CHAPTER IV REPORT ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION IN THE HEMISPHERE: ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

A.         Introduction

B.         Access to information and economic development 

1.         Information and markets

2.        Institutions and governance

3.         Impact of governance factors on risk assessments

C.        Conclusions

D.        Access to information in the Member States:  an update of the 2003 Annual Report

CHAPTER V   INDIRECT VIOLATIONS OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: THE IMPACT OF THE CONCENTRATION OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP

A.         Introduction

B.         Part I: Basic issues

1.         Direct and indirect violations of the freedom of expression

2.         The freedom of expression as a foundation for plurality in information

3.         Concentration of media ownership 

a.         Introduction

b.         Economic dimensions

c.         Political dimensions

d.         Conceptual notes 

C.        Part II: The economic concentration of media ownership in the European and inter-American frameworks

1. The concentration of media ownership and international instruments

2.         The European experience

a.         The caselaw of the European system.

b.         The concentration of media ownership in Europe: Institutional framework

3.         The inter-American experience

a.         The caselaw of the inter-American system

b.         The concentration of media ownership in the Americas in the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression.

 D.        Conclusions

CHAPTER VI              "DESACATO" LAWS AND CRIMINAL DEFAMATION

A.         Introduction

B.         Theoretical argument

1.         Subsequent liability under the American Covention on Human Rights

                 2.         Incompatibility of desacato laws with Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights

3.         Criminal defamation offenses (slander, libel, etc.)

C.        Jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

 1.         General precedents of the Court prior to 2004

a.         Herrera Ulloa case v Costa Rica

b.         Ricardo Canese case v Paraguay

           D.        Progress in reforms and judicial interpretations in light of the standards of the inter-American system for

           protection of human rights

 CHAPTER VII             HATE SPEECH AND THE AMERICAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

A.         Introduction:  Purpose and context of the report

B.         Hate speech under the framework of United Nations

1.         International treaties and conventions

C.        The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. 

D.        Hate speech under the European Convention on Human Rights 

E.        Application of international and comparative principles to the American Convention

 1.         Background principles for interpreting the American Convention

F.         U.N. and European approach

CHAPTER VIII          FINAL CONSIDERATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

ANNEXES

 1.         Complete text of Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights

2.         Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression

3.         Declaration of Chapultepec

4.         Resolution adopted by the General Assembly XXXIV:  Access to Public Information: Strengthening Democracy 

5.         Joint Declaration by the International Mechanisms for Promoting Freedom of Expression

6.         Press Releases