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limate protest coinciding with COP28 being held in Dubai in Brussels, Belgium, 3 December 2023. Photo: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock
Today, on 3 May 2024, as celebrations of World Press Freedom Day get underway in Santiago, Chile, the four international Special Rapporteurs on freedom of expression have released their 2024 Joint Declaration on the Climate Crisis and Freedom of Expression. The special rapporteurs have issued joint declarations on contemporary challenges to freedom of expression each year since 1999. ARTICLE 19 welcomes the Joint Declaration, which sets out important standards in this area.
Read the Joint Declaration
The climate emergency is widely recognised as one of the greatest threats to humanity, presenting the international community with an unprecedented challenge and adversely impacting human rights.
ARTICLE 19 has long argued that the rights to freedom of expression and information and participation in decision-making processes are crucial for the development and execution of responses to climate emergency. Alongside other human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of information should provide ‘the legal baseline for how climate change is tackled’. Publicly-accessible information, public participation, and public debates on climate emergency issues are key practical tools for enhancing governmental action, and should therefore be included as crucial components of any relevant strategies.
Quinn McKew, ARTICLE 19’s Executive Director, comments:
“ARTICLE 19 welcomes the guidance offered by four free speech mandates on these issues. As documented by our work, the realisation of the right to freedom of expression and information is seriously flawed in relation to climate emergency.
“Our research shows that people are still being denied access to essential information about climate and environmental issues. Too often, people are starved of vital information that would allow them to fight against or prepare for the effects of climate emergency, and are left without any formal avenues to access information or raise their concerns, complaints or fears.
“States also use numerous means to repress climate change activists, stifle scientific research and exchange, and limit the right to protest. Journalists and activists who expose environmental degradation, investigate environmental wrongdoings, critique government officials or expose corruption face years of hardship and prosecutions.
“We urge States and other stakeholders to implement recommendations outlined by the special rapporteurs, raise awareness about these issues, and cooperate in finding solutions.”
The 2024 Joint Declaration provides a set of recommendations on how States and the private sector should respond to freedom of expression challenges connected to the climate emergency.
In particular, the Joint Declaration includes recommendations in areas of:
The four international experts on freedom of expression are:
Joint Declarations by the four special rapporteurs have been adopted annually since 1999, covering contemporary universal challenges to freedom of expression. Previous declarations are available here.
ARTICLE 19 has been coordinating and supporting the drafting of these Joint Declarations since 1999.
Read the Joint Declaration
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