Freedom of Expression

Social Protest

Reports

  • Report regarding Public Demonstrations as an Exercise of Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Assembly

    The right to publicly protest is an essential element of freedom of expression. On many occasions, street protests, interruptions of means of communication, or public meetings are the only available mechanism for broad sectors of society who do not have or find it difficult to access means of mass communication. The present study, completed in 2004, describes the jurisprudence of various systems for protection of human rights regarding public protests and their possible limitations. The objective was to contribute to interpretation of public protests as an exercise of freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in the framework of the Inter-American System.

Criminalization of Expression: Social Protest.
Speech of Catalina Botero. Center for Studies of Freedom of Expression at the University of Palermo. 

Date: April 2010
Duration: 9 min. 07 sec.
(Only in Spanish)

More videos »

Joint Declarations

Publications

A Hemispheric Agenda for the Defense of Freedom of Expression (2009)A Hemispheric Agenda for the Defense of Freedom of Expression (2009) pdf format
This publication, in addition to summarizing the inter-American standards for freedom of expression, recognizes the regional advances achieved in the Americas with respect to the full guarantee of the right to freedom of expression, describes the main difficulties and challenges currently facing the right to freedom of expression in the region, and presents a series of concrete, viable and feasible recommendations that the Office of the Special Rapporteur considers necessary to face these challenges.

The Office of the Special Rapporteur issues joint declarations with the other rapporteurships for freedom of expression, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the Representative on Freedom of the Media from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the Rapporteur for the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.