12 February 2003 - for immediate
release
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION IS CENTRAL TO THE RIGHT TO
COMMUNICATE
ARTICLE 19 today released a statement on the right to
communicate, stressing
that it should be understood as "the right of every
individual or community
to have its stories and views heard."1
The
Statement notes that the right to communicate should not be conceived of
as a
new and independent right. Instead, any Declaration on the Right
to
Communicate should firmly establish it within the framework of
existing
rights, most importantly the right to freedom of
expression.
According to ARTICLE 19, the right to communicate should be
seen as an
umbrella or framework term, encompassing within it a group of
related rights
including:
* the right to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas;
* the right to pluralism within the media and to
equitable access to
the means of communication;
* the right to practice
and express one's culture;
* the right to participate in public
decision-making processes;
* the right to access information from public
bodies; and
* supporting rights including the right to communicate
anonymously and
the right to respect for private life.
Understood in
this way, a Declaration on the Right to Communicate would make
a significant
contribution to the ongoing process of implementation of the
International
Bill of Rights.
However, we have serious concerns about the draft
Declaration on the Right
to Communicate circulated by Cees Hamelink in
December 2002.3 This draft
Declaration seeks to impose a number of vague,
broad restrictions on the
right to freedom of expression, contrary to
international law. Equally
seriously, it fails to elaborate clearly the
implications of the right to
communicate and what States need to do to
respect this right. ARTICLE 19
urges NGOs to resist inclusion in any
Declaration of many of the provisions
of the Hamelink Declaration, which
undermine rather than promote the further
realisation of human
rights.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
1. The statement can be
found on ARTICLE 19's website, at
<http://www.article19.org/docimages/1511.doc>
http://www.article19.org/docimages/1511.doc.
2. An important debate is taking place over whether the World Summit
on
the Information Society (WSIS), a UN/ITU sponsored global forum which is
to
take place in two stages between 2003 and 2005, should adopt a
declaration
on the right to communicate.
3. An analysis of the Hamelink
draft can be found on the ARTICLE 19
website, at <http://www.article19.org/docimages/1502.doc>
http://www.article19.org/docimages/1502.doc.
4. For further information contact Toby Mendel, Director of the
Law
Programme, on + 1 902 431 3688, email: <mailto:toby@article19.org>
Toby@article19.org, or Peter Noorlander, Legal Officer, on + 44 20 7278
9292,
email: <mailto:Peter@article19.org> Peter@article19.org.
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