Protecting the human right to freedom of expression in international law

Abstract

Since its inclusion in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to freedom of opinion and expression has been protected in all of the relevant international human rights treaties. In international law, freedom to express opinions and ideas is considered essential at both an individual level, insofar as it contributes to the full development of a person, and being a foundation stone of democratic society. Free speech is a necessary precondition to the enjoyment of other rights, such as the right to vote, free assembly and freedom of association, and is essential to ensure press freedom. However, there is a clear and worrying global trend, including in western democracies, of governments limiting vibrant discussion and debate within civil society and among civil society, political leaders and government. Two examples illustrate this trend. First, anti-protest laws in Australia and the United States threaten the ability of people to stand together and express views on issues they care deeply about. Secondly, metadata retention laws jeopardise press freedom by undermining the confidentiality of journalists’ sources and dissuading people from speaking freely on matters of public importance.

Keywords:

• Article 19
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• United Nations
• civil society
• international law

Acknowledgements

Author thanks Ivy Keane for research assistance on this commentary.

Declaration of interest

There are no real or potential conflicts of interest related to the manuscript.