DEC/25/117 Panel on the right to privacy in the digital age

GE.14-13689

*1413689*

Human Rights Council Twenty-fifth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Decision adopted by the Human Rights Council

25/117. Panel on the right to privacy in the digital age

At its 54th meeting, on 27 March 2014, the Human Rights Council decided to adopt the text below:

“The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Reaffirming the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, relevant international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and other relevant international human rights instruments,

Reaffirming also the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, Recalling General Assembly resolution 68/167 of 18 December 2013 on the right to

privacy in the digital age,

Recalling also all relevant resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council, in particular Council resolution 20/8 of 5 July 2012 on the promotion, protection and enjoyment of human rights on the Internet,

Reaffirming the right to privacy, according to which no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home or correspondence, and the right to the protection of the law against such interference, as set out in article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,

Welcoming the efforts undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, special procedures, treaty bodies and other relevant mechanisms in promoting and protecting the right to privacy in the digital age,

Reaffirming that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, including the right to privacy,

Recognizing that the exercise of the right to privacy is important for the realization of the right to freedom of expression and to hold opinions without interference, and is one of the foundations of a democratic society,

Deeply concerned at the negative impact that surveillance and/or interception of communications, including extraterritorial surveillance and/or interception of communications, as well as the collection of personal data, in particular when carried out on a mass scale, may have on the exercise and enjoyment of human rights,

1. Decides to convene, at its twenty-seventh session, a panel discussion on the promotion and protection of the right to privacy in the digital age in the context of domestic and extraterritorial surveillance and/or the interception of digital communications and the collection of personal data, including on a mass scale, also with a view to identifying challenges and best practices, taking into account the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights requested by the General Assembly in its resolution 68/167;

2. Requests the High Commissioner to organize the panel discussion, in consultation with States, relevant United Nations bodies, funds and programmes, treaty bodies, special procedures and regional human rights mechanisms, as well as with civil society, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and national human rights institutions, with a view to ensuring multi-stakeholder participation in the panel discussion;

3. Also requests the High Commissioner to prepare a summary report on the panel discussion for submission to the Human Rights Council at its twenty-eighth session.”

[Adopted without a vote.]