Americas: Strengthening freedom of expression and safety of journalists

To strengthen the participation of different stakeholders from the Americas in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and freedom of expression, the safety of journalists, and access to information, UNESCO and Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (RELE, in Spanish) have started a 6-month partnership. 

In his address, Pedro Vaca Villarreal, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights said, ‘The efforts for the promotion and protection of freedom of expression at the regional and the universal levels should be fully harmonized. This partnership between RELE and UNESCO aims at building that bridge and ensuring that human rights mechanisms are successfully coordinated in the field’. On her part, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, Tawfik Jelassi said ‘In a context of growing attacks against journalists and freedom of expression globally, improving the engagement with regional human rights mechanisms is a way of ensuring that all regions work towards an environment conducive to the full respect of freedom of expression with one voice’,