The Special Rapporteur's factsheet summarizing the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of multilateral organization, presented in an easy-to use "yes/no" format, with hyperlinks to source materials. This factsheet draws heavily from the Special Rapporteur's 2014 report to the UN General Assembly and features guidance on: • Multilateral organizations' obligations to uphold assembly and association rights - and what that means in practice • Multilaterals' responsibilities when member states police assemblies targeted at the multilateral institution itself • The status of private multilaterals, such as the International Olympic Committee • Comparative access for business and civil society • And more The factsheet also summarizes the report's recommendations and highlights key statistics in a "by the numbers" feature. For the Special Rapporteur's full factsheet series, please see:... Continue reading →
NEW YORK – In today’s globalized world, the meaning and practice of democracy stretches beyond national boundaries, United Nations human rights expert Maina Kiai has said today during the presentation of his report to the UN General Assembly on the exercise of the rights of freedom of peaceful assembly and of association at the multilateral level. “Decisions of multilateral institutions -which represent Governments- have a profound impact on the lives of ordinary people across the globe,” the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association said. “But are these people consulted and given a chance to contribute to issues affecting them? Often, the answer is no.” In his report, Mr. Kiai notes that global governance is increasingly becoming fragmented and diffused among a broad range of multilateral bodies, including the more well-known ones such as the UN and its specialized agencies, and others less well-known or understood, some of which are opaque in their operations. Actions by multilateral institutions themselves “Multilateral entities have positive responsibilities to actively protect peaceful assemblies and to establish and maintain an enabling environment for civil society,” the independent expert stressed. However, his report notes that... 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 http://webtv.un.org/. Kiai’s thematic report examines how the rights to freedom of peacefully assembly and of association are exercised, promoted and limited in the context of multilateral organizations. The report asserts that these rights are equally fundamental and protected at the national and international levels, but that they are not always upheld at the multilateral level. “Multilateral organizations have a profound impact on the lives of ordinary people across the globe,” the Special Rapporteur said. “They institute development projects, spur economic and political reform, help shape international law, and more. Yet much of this occurs without the substantive and effective input of ordinary people.” Kiai said that assembly and association... Continue reading →
In Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai's previous reports, he has focused on States’ obligations to ensure the free exercise of the rights to peacefully assemble and to associate at the national level. In this report, the Special Rapporteur examines the exercise of these rights at the international level – specifically in the context of multilateral institutions. Increasingly, global governance is becoming fragmented and diffused among a broad range of multilateral entities, ranging from well-known bodies such as the United Nations and World Bank to lesser-known ones. The decisions of these institutions can have a profound impact on the lives of ordinary people across the globe as these institutions institute development projects, spur economic and political reform, help shape international law, and more. Yet much of this impact upon ordinary people occurs without ordinary people’s input. The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are equally fundamental and protected at the national and multilateral levels. Yet civil society is far too often excluded from international debates; multilateral institutions commonly view peaceful assemblies during global summits or when implementing a project as posing a security threat; the operations of many multilaterals lack transparency; and... Continue reading →
