On November 25-26, 2013, Maina Kiai participated in a conference of civil society leaders in Blantyre, Malawi, organized by ACT Alliance. The consultation focused on space for civil society, and was convened to explore ways that civil society groups in the region can ensure their ability to operate in a so-called “enabling environment.” Such an environment includes a functioning democratic judicial system, vibrant freedoms of expression, assembly and association, and the ability to secure funding and participate in public affairs. Three delegates at the conference produced a video summarizing the event, in which human rights defenders, activists, civil society leaders and representatives from non-governmental organizations discuss the challenges they face in countries across southern Africa and beyond. It features interviews covering a range of countries and contexts, and includes an interview with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai. This video was facilitated by InsightShare and funded by the Church of Sweden. For more on the conference, see our press... Continue reading →
United Nations Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai is scheduled to speak at two public events in Canada this week, ahead of his presentation to the UN General Assembly in New York on Oct. 29. The first lecture – “Civil Society: Democracy, Dissent and the Law” – will take place on Oct. 23 at McGill University. The event is part of the university’s Macnaughton Lectures series, and will be hosted by the McGill Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. The lecture is free and open to the public, and will be held at Chancellor Day Hall, Maxwell Cohen Moot Court (NCDH 100), 3644 rue Peel, Montreal. It is scheduled to take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information on the Montreal event, please see here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3TrjwEtIFM The second lecture – “The Right to Protest: A Worldwide Perspective” – will be held at 5 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the University of Ottawa. It is being presented by the Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS), the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC), and Amnesty International Canada. The lecture is free and open to the public, and will be held at the Social Sciences Building, 120 University Street, room 4004. For more information on the Ottawa event, please see... Continue reading →
UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai told a UN panel on civil society yesterday that governments must give as much attention to human rights and civil society issues as they do “issues of trade, security, and other strategic interests.” The remarks, which came at a high-level event on the the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, were part of a speech titled “Sounding the Alarm: emerging threats to civil society and the need for a coordinated international response.” The event was hosted by US President Barack Obama. Kiai said that the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association are essential to democracy and development due to the values of inclusiveness and diversity that they promote. But sadly, challenges to these freedoms have increased, despite rhetorical commitments from UN Member States. “Tolerance of others must be harnessed,” Kiai said. “We don’t have to agree with what people do; but as long as it is done peacefully, and does not incite violence and hatred, it should be allowed.” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and several heads of state were in attendance. Presentations were also made by Presidents Obama, Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico and Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of Mongolia. The full text of the speech is available here. The pre-event press release can be found... Continue reading →
On August 12, 2012, Maina Kiai participated in a discussion panel sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC, entitled "Understanding and Responding to Attacks on Civil Society: The Roles of Politics and Law." The panel also featured Nilda Bullain (International Center for Not-for-Profit Law), Carl Gershman (National Endowment for Democracy) and Kent Hughes (Public Policy Scholar, former director Program on America and the Global Economy). The panel is available via YouTube... Continue reading →
In this video, produced by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Maina Kiai UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, discusses the need to have practical guidelines to these... Continue reading →
