OHCHR | International Standards on the Rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

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International Standards on the Rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

Main international standards

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: article 20(1)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: articles 21 and 22
General Comment 25 (Article 25) of the Human Rights Committee (participation in public affairs and the right to vote)
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: article 8
International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination: articles 4 and 5(ix)
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: article 7(c)
Convention on the Rights of the Child: article 15
International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families: article 26
International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance: article 24(7)
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: article 29
International Labour Organization (ILO)’s Convention No. 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise
ILO’s Convention No. 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining
ILO’s Convention No. 135 on Workers’ Representatives
Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms): article 5

Main regional standards

African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights: articles 10 and 11
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: article 8
American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man: articles 21 and 22
American Convention on Human Rights: articles 15 and 16
European Convention on Human Rights: article 11
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union: article 12
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and Council of Europe's Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission): Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly (2nd edition)
OSCE/ Venice Commission: Guidelines on Political Party Regulation

Special Procedures

About Special Procedures

Submitting complaints

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Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association

International standards

Current mandate holder

Annual thematic reports

Comments on legislation and policy

Feature Stories

Recent thematic reports

Exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association as essential to advancing climate justice (2021)

Celebrating women in activism and civil society: the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association by women and girls (2020)

Ten years protecting civic space worldwide (2020)

Civil society space, poverty, national policy and the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (2019)

The exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the digital age (2019)

Special joint report on the proper management of assemblies (2016)

Issues in focus

Joint declaration on protecting and supporting civil society at-risk
English | Français (PDF)

Joint declaration on peaceful assembly and democratic governance
PDF: English | Français | Español

COVID-19 and Freedom of Assembly and Association

Contact information

Mr. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule
Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Fax: + 41 22 917 9006
Email: ohchr-freeassembly@un.org

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