59th session of the Human Rights Council
Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association
Statement by Akãhatã
Thursday 19 june
Thank you, President.
Akãhatã makes this statement on behalf of the Sexual Rights Initiative. We welcome the Special Rapporteur's report and analysis on the super electoral cycle and restrictions of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. As the report notes, protest is essential for advancing human rights, but often met with repression, restrictive laws, and political violence. We are particularly concerned about laws in Latin America, among other regions, that seek to criminalize civil society organizations and label them as terrorists, as well as by the repression of the solidarity movement for Palestinians’ rights, especially in the Global North.
We value that the report addresses the obstacles faced by women and LGBTI people and encourage the Special Rapporteur to further examine how race, ethnicity, class, caste, disability, and related oppressions operate in this context.
States must adopt measures to mitigate harassment and attacks that rely on digital technologies, including technology-mediated gender-based violence, and combat surveillance and disinformation.
Faced with the global shift towards authoritarianism, the far right, and attacks on human rights, it is urgent that States address structural discrimination, guarantee equitable access to resources and technologies, and hold all actors accountable for the suppression of these rights. That includes holding technology companies and corporations accountable for their role in electoral processes.
Thank you.