The? ?Universal? ?Declaration? ?of? ?Human? ?Rights??was? ?passed? ?by? ?the? ?United? ?Nations? ?General Assembly? ?in? ?1948.??Article? ?20? ?of? ?this? ?declaration? ?is? ?the? ?right? ?to? ?freedom? ?of??peaceful? ?assembly and? ?association.
The? ?right? ?to? ?freedom? ?of? ?peaceful? ?assembly??is? ?the? ?right? ?to? ?gather? ?publicly? ?or? ?privately? ?and collectively??express,? ?promote,? ?pursue? ?and? ?defend? ?common? ?interests.? ?This??multi-faceted? ?right is? ?of? ?essential? ?purpose? ?to? ?the? ?work? ?of??civil? ?society? ?actors,? ?including? ?those? ?promoting? ?the realization??of? ?economic,? ?social? ?and? ?cultural? ?rights,? ?as? ?it? ?enables? ?them??to? ?publicly? ?voice? ?their message,? ?which? ?ultimately? ?benefits? ?the??realization? ?of? ?the? ?right(s)? ?they? ?strive? ?to? ?promote? ?andprotect. The? ?right? ?to? ?freedom? ?of? ?association? ?is??the? ?right? ?to? ?join? ?a? ?formal? ?or? ?informal? ?group? ?to? ?takecollective? ?action,? ?it? ?also? ?means? ?the? ?ability? ?of? ?individuals??to? ?seek? ?and? ?receive? ?resources, whether? ?human,? ?material? ?or??financial,? ?from? ?domestic,? ?foreign? ?and? ?international? ?sources. These? ?rights? ?are? ?a? ?fundamental? ?part? ?of??our? ?freedom,? ?however? ?they? ?are? ?not? ?unconditional. States? ?may??not? ?be? ?allowed? ?to? ?restrict? ?these? ?rights? ?based? ?on? ?race,??gender,? ?age,? ?religion? ?or? ?any other? ?subjective? ?factor,? ?but??they? ?are? ?allowed? ?to? ?place? ?certain? ?restrictions? ?on? ?these??rights.? ?Such measures? ?must? ?be? ?prescribed? ?by? ?law? ?and??”necessary? ?in? ?a? ?democratic? ?society? ?in? ?the? ?interests? ?ofnational? ?security? ?or? ?public? ?safety,? ?public? ?order,? ?the??protection? ?of? ?public? ?health? ?or? ?morals? ?or? ?the protection? ?of??the? ?rights? ?and? ?freedoms? ?of? ?others. In? ?a??report? ?by? ?the? ?United? ?Nations? ?Secretary-General? ?on? ?the??promotion? ?and? ?protection? ?of human? ?rights? ?he? ?states,? ?’As? ?the??actors? ?with? ?primary? ?responsibility? ?for? ?fulfilling? ?human? ?rightsobligations,? ?Governments? ?must? ?act? ?on? ?their? ?duties.
? ?Guaranteeing??space? ?for? ?civil? ?society? ?to fulfil? ?its? ?complementary? ?role? ?is??fundamental.? ?It? ?was? ?thus? ?very? ?worrying? ?that,? ?during? ?thereporting? ?period,? ?the? ?global? ?trend? ?continued? ?of? ?limiting? ?space??for? ?civil? ?society? ?organizations. The? ?freedoms? ?of? ?expression,??association? ?and? ?peaceful? ?assembly? ?were? ?seriously? ?challenged? ?inmany? ?countries? ?and? ?in? ?all? ?regions.? ?There? ?were? ?egregious??reprisals? ?against? ?those? ?who cooperated? ?with? ?the? ?United? ?Nations.??Challenges? ?frequently? ?emerged? ?during? ?elections, campaigns? ?by??human? ?rights? ?defenders,? ?social? ?movements? ?and? ?political? ?protests??and? ?in? ?relation to? ?counter-terrorism? ?measures.? ?The? ?United??Nations? ?firmly? ?defended? ?the? ?public? ?freedoms? ?that characterize??democratic? ?societies? ?through? ?advocacy? ?and? ?legal? ?advice? ?at? ?the??global,? ?national and? ?local? ?levels.’ As? ?pointed? ?out? ?by? ?the? ?Secretary-General,??there? ?are? ?many? ?cases? ?in? ?which? ?the? ?rights? ?to? ?freedom of??peaceful? ?assembly? ?and? ?association? ?are? ?violated? ?by? ?states? ?and??national? ?entities,? ?which? ?is? ?why we,? ?as? ?the? ?2018? ?HMUN? ?Human??Rights? ?Council,? ?operating? ?in? ?the? ?true? ?function? ?of? ?the??Council, will? ?be? ?discussing? ?the? ?protection? ?and? ?promotion? ?of??the? ?right? ?to? ?peaceful? ?assembly? ?and association? ?in? ?order? ?to??uphold? ?the? ?human? ?rights? ?for? ?peaceful? ?protesters.
