GENEVA – Three United Nations human rights experts have called on the Government of Kenya to cease its systematic crackdown on civil society groups, which has intensified in the lead-up to national elections scheduled in August. “We are extremely alarmed at the increasing number of attacks on civil society as the elections draw closer,” said the UN Special Rapporteurs on freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai; on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye; and on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel… Continue reading →
As my time as Special Rapporteur nears its end, I have been reflecting a great deal on my six years in the position – and just how much the world has changed since the Human Rights Council created my mandate in October 2010. Could anyone have imagined what the years 2011-17 would bring? Back then, the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association were somewhat neglected in the pantheon of our most cherished rights – known, but rarely in the headlines. In the years since, they have underpinned some of the most cataclysmic political events… Continue reading →
GENEVE – Un groupe d’experts des droits humains des Nations Unies a condamné aujourd’hui la récente interdiction et la suspension provisoire d’un certain nombre d’organisations de la société civile au Burundi et a mis en garde contre «l’effet obstructif, restrictif et stigmatisant de la législation récente sur les ONG, dans un contexte de répression croissante des défenseurs des droits humains ». Le 19 octobre 2016, les autorités burundaises ont radié cinq organisations de la société civile*. De même, en décembre 2016, la… Continue reading →
GENEVA – A group of United Nations human rights experts today condemned the recent ban and provisional suspension of a number of civil society organizations in Burundi, and warned about “the obstructive, restrictive and stigmatizing effect of recent legislation on NGOs, in a context of growing repression of human rights defenders.” On 19 October 2016, the Burundian authorities banned five civil society organizations*. In December 2016, the Ligue ITEKA, one of the leading human rights institutions of the country, which was suspended in October… Continue reading →
Issue No. 25 of the Assembly and Association Briefing, the newsletter of Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. In this issue: • Egypt NGO bill threatens to “devastate” civil society, Kiai warns (plus other Egypt news) • Call for input on the Special Rapporteur’s final report: Mapping the history and achievements of civil society • DR Congo: UN experts urge Government to lift “abusive” restrictions on protesters to head off violence (plus other Democratic Republic… Continue reading →
