RES/25/38 The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests

GE.A/HRC/25/32 and Corr.1. 4-13430

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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

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council

25/38. The promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests

The Human Rights Council,

Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Recalling the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,

Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and recalling 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 relevant regional human rights instruments,

Reaffirming also that, consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, States Members of the United Nations have pledged to achieve, in cooperation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,

Recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 12/16 of 2 October 2009 and 16/4 of 24 March 2011, on freedom of opinion and expression, 15/21 of 30 September 2010, 21/16 of 27 September 2012 and 24/5 of 26 September 2013, on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and 19/35 of 23 March 2012 and 22/10 of 21 March 2013, on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests,

Recalling also Human Rights Council resolutions 21/12 of 27 September 2012, on the safety of journalists, 24/8 of 26 September 2013, on equal political participation, 22/6 of 21 March 2013, on protecting human rights defenders, and 24/21 of 27 September 2013, on civil society space: creating and maintaining, in law and practice, a safe and enabling environment,

United Nations A/HRC/RES/25/38

General Assembly Distr.: General 11 April 2014

Original: English

Recalling further the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

Recognizing that, pursuant to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association are human rights guaranteed to all, while their exercise may be subject to certain restrictions, in accordance with States’ obligations under applicable international human rights instruments,

Recognizing also that any such restrictions must be based in law, in accordance with States’ obligations under applicable international human rights instruments and subject to a competent, independent, impartial and prompt administrative or judicial review,

Recalling that States have the primary responsibility for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including in the context of peaceful protests, and to ensure that national legislation, policies and practices, as the national framework for the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association, are in compliance with international human rights law,

Acknowledging that peaceful protests can occur in all societies, including protests that are spontaneous, simultaneous, unauthorized or restricted,

Acknowledging also that participation in peaceful protests can be an important form of exercising the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression, of association and of participation in the conduct of public affairs,

Recognizing that peaceful protests can make a positive contribution to the development, strengthening and effectiveness of democratic systems and to democratic processes, including elections and referendums,

Acknowledging that peaceful protests can contribute to the full enjoyment of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,

Reaffirming that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person, Reaffirming also that participation in public and peaceful protests should be entirely

voluntary and uncoerced,

Stressing therefore that everyone must be able to express their grievances or aspirations in a peaceful manner, including through public protests, without fear of reprisals or of being intimidated, harassed, injured, sexually assaulted, beaten, arbitrarily arrested and detained, tortured, killed or subjected to enforced disappearance,

Deeply concerned about extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of persons exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association in all regions of the world,

Expressing its concern about the number of attacks targeting human rights defenders and journalists in the context of peaceful protests,

Expressing its concern also at the criminalization, in all parts of the world, of individuals and groups for having organized or taken part in peaceful protests,

Stressing that peaceful protests should not be viewed as a threat, and therefore encouraging all States to engage in an open, inclusive and meaningful dialogue when dealing with peaceful protests and their causes,

Recalling that isolated acts of violence committed by others in the course of a protest do not deprive peaceful individuals of their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association,

Recognizing that national human rights institutions and representatives of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, can play a useful role in facilitating continued dialogue between individuals taking part in peaceful protests and the relevant authorities,

Stressing the need to ensure full accountability for human rights violations or abuses in the context of peaceful protests,

Recalling the Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials,

Recalling also the importance of adequate training for officials exercising law enforcement duties assigned to deal with public protests, and of refraining, to the extent feasible, from assigning military personnel to perform such duties,

Bearing in mind that assemblies can be facilitated on the basis of communication and collaboration among protesters, local authorities and officials exercising law enforcement duties,

1. Takes note with interest of the summary of the seminar on effective measures and best practices to ensure the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests, held on 2 December 2013, prepared by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 22/10;1

2. Recalls that States have the responsibility, including in the context of peaceful protests, to promote and protect human rights and to prevent human rights violations, including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearances and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and calls upon States to avoid the abuse of criminal and civil proceedings or threats of such acts at all times;

3. Calls upon States to promote a safe and enabling environment for individuals and groups to exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association, including by ensuring that their domestic legislation and procedures relating to the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, of expression and of association are in conformity with their international human rights obligations and commitments, clearly and explicitly establish a presumption in favour of the exercise of these rights, and that they are effectively implemented;

4. Urges States to facilitate peaceful protests by providing protestors with access to public space and protecting them, without discrimination, where necessary, against any form of threat and harassment, and underlines the role of local authorities in this regard;

5. Underlines the important role that communication between protestors, local authorities and officials exercising law enforcement duties can play in the proper management of assemblies, such as peaceful protests, and calls on States to establish appropriate channels in that regard;

6. Urges States to pay particular attention to the safety and protection of women and women human rights defenders from acts of intimidation and harassment, as well as gender-based violence, including sexual assault, in the context of peaceful protests;

7. Reaffirms that States must take all appropriate measures for the safety and protection of children, including while they exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, expression and association, including in the context of peaceful protests;

8. Calls upon all States to pay particular attention to the safety of journalists and media workers covering peaceful protests, taking into account their specific role, exposure and vulnerability;

9. Urges all States to avoid using force during peaceful protests and to ensure that, where force is absolutely necessary, no one is subject to excessive or indiscriminate use of force;

10. Calls upon States, as a matter of priority, to ensure that their domestic legislation and procedures are consistent with their international obligations and commitments in relation to the use of force in the context of law enforcement and are effectively implemented by officials exercising law enforcement duties, in particular applicable principles of law enforcement, such as the principles of necessity and proportionality, bearing in mind that lethal force may only be used as a last resort to protect against an imminent threat to life and that it may not be used merely to disperse a gathering;

11. Affirms that nothing can ever justify the indiscriminate use of lethal force against a crowd, which is unlawful under international human rights law;

12. Calls upon States to investigate any death or significant injury committed during protests, including those resulting from the discharge of firearms or the use of non- lethal weapons by officials exercising law enforcement duties;

13. Also calls upon States to ensure adequate training of officials exercising law enforcement duties and, where applicable, to promote adequate training for private personnel acting on behalf of a State, including in international human rights law and, where appropriate, international humanitarian law;

14. Encourages States to make protective equipment and non-lethal weapons available to their officials exercising law enforcement duties, while pursuing international efforts to regulate and establish protocols for the training and use of non-lethal weapons;

15. Underlines the importance of thorough, independent and scientific testing of non-lethal weapons prior to deployment to establish their lethality and the extent of likely injury, and of monitoring appropriate training and use of such weapons;

16. Stresses the importance of international cooperation in support of national efforts for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of peaceful protests, in order to raise the capacities of law enforcement agencies to deal with such protests in a manner that conforms to their international human rights obligations and commitments;

17. Underlines the necessity to address the management of assemblies, including peaceful protests, so as to contribute to their peaceful conduct, and to prevent loss of life of and injuries to protestors, bystanders, those monitoring such protests and officials exercising law enforcement duties, as well as any human rights violation or abuse;

18. Recognizes the importance of documenting human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of peaceful protests, and the role that can be played by national human rights institutions, civil society, including non-governmental organizations,

journalists and other media workers, Internet users and human rights defenders, in this regard;

19. Urges States to ensure accountability for human rights violations and abuses through judicial or other national mechanisms, based on law in conformity with their international human rights obligations and commitments, and to provide victims with access to a remedy and redress, including in the context of peaceful protests;

20. Requests the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to prepare, from within existing resources, a compilation of practical recommendations for the proper management of assemblies based on best practices and lessons learned and, in the preparation of the compilation, to seek the views of States, relevant United Nations agencies, in particular the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, intergovernmental organizations, other relevant special procedures mandate holders, national human rights institutions, non- governmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders, such as practitioners, and to submit the compilation to the Human Rights Council at its thirty-first session;

21. Decides to continue its consideration of this topic, as well as next steps, at its thirty-first session under agenda item 3.

56th meeting 28 March 2014

[Adopted by a recorded vote of 31 to 9, with 7 abstentions. The voting was as follows: In favour:

Argentina, Austria, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Gabon, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Maldives, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Romania, Sierra Leone, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America

Against: China, Cuba, India, Kenya, Pakistan, Russian Federation, South Africa, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam

Abstaining: Algeria, Congo, Ethiopia, Kuwait, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates]