WARSAW, Poland – UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai spoke out against shrinking space for peaceful assembly and association rights this week in Warsaw, warning that governments who weaken civil society are “playing with fire, because the alternative … is extremism.” The comments came during an Oct. 22 consultation with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)-region governments on civic space and civil society’s ability to access resources. “We are at a very difficult time in the world, and I think it’s not accidental… Continue reading →
NEW YORK – United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai will appear before the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly on October 28 to present his latest report, which focuses on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association at the multilateral level. Kiai, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, is scheduled to present at the General Assembly’s 69th Session session on October 28, which begins at 10 a.m. local (EST) time. The session will be broadcast live on… Continue reading →
UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai has authored a commentary for Article 19’s Join the Debate blog, arguing that multilateral institutions need to democratize themselves – particularly by respecting the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association – in order to remain relevant in the 21st century. Kiai tackles the issue of multilateral institutions and their effect on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in his latest thematic report, which will be presented to the UN General Assembly on Oct. 28. “I am… Continue reading →
NAIVASHA, Kenya – The push to apply international standards in domestic and regional court cases requires a strategic, coordinated and multipronged approach by lawyers and civil society if it is to succeed, according to participants in a workshop organized this week by UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai. The workshop, which was held Oct. 16-17 in Naivasha, Kenya, gathered nearly 20 lawyers from 11 countries to discuss best practices for litigating cases dealing with the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. It was the first event… Continue reading →
Maina Kiai visited South Asia last month on an unofficial visit that included stops in Nepal and Bangladesh. During his visit, he took time to sit down for an interview with Indian journalist and human rights activist Teesta Setalvad of Communalism Combat. The interview is available here, or by clicking the video below. In the wide-ranging interview, Kiai speaks about the role of the Special Rapporteur mandate, the “dumbing down” of the media when it comes to human rights issues, the true meaning of democracy, and India – including the… Continue reading →
