Several countries in South and Southeast Asia are scheduled to have elections within the next year, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, the Maldives, and Thailand. However, these same countries face increasing restrictions on freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, which are critical components for free and fair elections.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association has presented key recommendations on the freedom of peaceful assembly in the context of elections in a 2013 report. Similarly, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression described pillars of an equitable legal framework in the context of elections in a 2014 report. How these standards are applied in Asian countries with upcoming elections is the subject of this side event.
Representatives of civil society working on Asia will provide their analysis of issues related to freedoms of expression, assembly, and association, and their impact on upcoming elections in Asia, while current
Special Procedures mandate holders will discuss how states and the UN Human Rights Council can follow up on their respective mandates’ recommendations
Panellists:
- Kingsley Abbott, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
- R. Iniyan Ilango, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
- David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Clement Voule, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Moderator:
- Laila Matar, Human Rights Watch
Organisers:
- Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
- Human Rights Watch
- International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
