3619 Results
Quotes
Quotes based on international documents, law, and treaties- "As a good practice, the boundaries of electoral constituencies should be examined and reviewed every ten years and, ideally, shortly after the completion of a periodic population census. "
- "A general, automatic, indiscriminate restriction of the suffrage rights of all people convicted of a crime, regardless of the nature and degree of the crime, is an example of a restriction too broadly applied."
- "Further, in order to alleviate the effects of past discrimination and to enhance future participation, it is appropriate for the legal framework to include special electoral rules and voting arrangements for national minorities."
- "It may be appropriate to require political parties and other nominating organizations to put forward a minimum number of candidates of each gender, with reasonable chances to be elected."
- "There should also be a variety of sanctions available when political parties do not comply with legal measures aimed at ensuring gender equality. Sanctions may range from financial measures, such as the denial or reduction of public funding, to stronger measures, such as the removal of the party’s electoral list from the ballot."
- "The legal framework should prohibit the collection, use or dissemination of personal data or information in any manner for any purpose other than the exercise of suffrage rights. In particular, care should be given to provisions that relate to fingerprints, photographs and personal identification numbers, as well as to ethnicity or other factors that could lead to discrimination or place the voter at risk of personal harm."
- "To allow for the effective regulation of the use of state resources, legislation should clearly define what is considered an abuse."
- "An invalid signature should not invalidate other signatures or the signature list."
- "A credible process of signature verification would include the verification of all signatures submitted up to the point when the minimum number of verified signatures required for registration has been reached. Once the minimum number of signatures has been established, the political party or candidate should be registered."
- "Observers should be given unimpeded access to all levels of election administration at all times, effective access to other public offices with relevance to the election process, and the ability to meet with all political formations, the media, civil society and voters. The law should provide clear and precise provisions establishing the rights of observers to inspect documents, attend meetings and observe election activities at all levels, as well as to obtain copies of decisions, protocols, tabulations, minutes and other electoral documents, at all levels."
- "Although it is not possible for the legal framework to prevent violations of the principle of secrecy of the vote in postal voting, it is possible to provide for legal sanctions for violation of the secrecy requirement and to include other provisions to reduce the opportunity to undermine the integrity of the election through fraudulent postal voting."
- "It is difficult to justify the use of proxy voting, particularly where postal, early or mobile voting is available. Should a legal framework provide for proxy voting, then the reviewer of the legislation should point out the concerns this raises with regard to the principle of secrecy of the ballot and the potential it creates for abuse."
- "Domestic legislation of the state must contain data protection provisions for the regulation of the automatic processing of personal data."
- "Personal data that are processed must be adequate, relevant, correct and, if necessary, up to date; all reasonable measures must be taken to complete, correct, block or erase data that are incomplete or incorrect."
- "Every person has the right to access in an intelligible form, at reasonable intervals and without excessive delay or expense, confirmation of whether her or his personal data are stored in an automated file."
- "The legal framework should stipulate that every voter, candidate and political party has the right to lodge a complaint with the competent authority when an infringement of electoral rights has occurred. Care must be taken when drafting such provisions to ensure that the right to seek protection of electoral rights is not unduly restricted to a limited number of groups, such as political parties or candidates."
- "The law must require that the appropriate election-administration body or court consider, determine and render a prompt decision on a complaint. A principle common to many legal systems is that “justice delayed is justice denied”."
- "Civil society is an essential component for the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law: therefore states should create and maintain a safe and enabling environment in which CSOs can operate free from hindrance and insecurity."
- "The ability to seek, receive and use resources is inherent to the right to freedom of association and essential to the existence and effective operations of any association."
- "States must allow associations to seek, receive and use foreign funding as a part of their obligation under international human rights law to mobilize resources available within the society as a whole and from the international community."
- "Governments must refrain from adopting measures that disproportionately target or burden civil society organizations (CSOs), such as imposing onerous vetting rules, procedures or other CSO-specific requirements not applied to the corporate sector."
- "States should not resort to tax pressure to discourage associations from receiving funds from abroad. Tax exemption and other privileges for associations should be considered positive examples."
- "The Human Rights Council (...) 1. Reaffirms that creating and maintaining a safe and enabling environment in which civil society can operate free from hindrance and insecurity assists States in fulfilling their existing international human rights obligations and commitments, without which equality, accountability and the rule of law are severely weakened, with implications at the national, regional and international levels."
- "The Human Rights Council (...) 5. Urges States to take all steps necessary to prevent threats, attacks, discrimination, arbitrary arrests and detention or other forms of harassment, reprisals and acts of intimidation against civil society actors, to investigate any such alleged acts, to ensure access to justice and accountability, and to end impunity where such violations and abuses have occurred, including by putting in place, and where necessary reviewing and amending, relevant laws, policies, institutions and mechanisms to create and maintain a safe and enabling environment in which civil society can operate free from hindrance, insecurity and reprisals."
- "The Human Rights Council (...) 6. Calls upon States to ensure that domestic provisions on funding to civil society actors are in compliance with their international human rights obligations and commitments and are not misused to hinder the work or endanger the safety of civil society actors, and underlines the importance of the ability to solicit, receive and utilize resources for their work."
- "A vibrant and free civic space with channels for safe and effective participation enables societies to be more peaceful and prosperous. The right to participate in the conduct of public affairs, protected and guaranteed by international law, is a cornerstone of civic space."
- "Threats and attacks against civil society actors and undue restrictions on public freedoms and rights are attacks against the values and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and are in direct violation of international norms and standards."
- "With regard to the promotion of civic space, international human rights imply a State obligation to support institutional, legal and policy frameworks that enable effective and safe civil society participation in national decision-making processes and access to information."
- "More needs to be done to protect civil society actors, and human rights defenders in particular, from attacks, including physical violence, arbitrary detention, disappearances, and online and offline harassment, that seek to silence critical voices."
- "Ongoing policy monitoring is crucial to assess the performance of systems and processes and to adapt them as needed. It is important that consultations and monitoring be broadly based and not confined to habitual partners. Integrating new civil society organizations or grass-roots networks, irrespective of whether they are formally registered, can energize such processes."
- "States can create and maintain an enabling environment for civic activity by investing in the development of civil society, taking measures to build participation capacities, especially for marginalized voices, and facilitating access to diverse funding sources and technology."
- "In the context of a supportive legal framework and access to justice, Member States should: (...) (b) Review and repeal or amend all legal provisions that impede the free and independent work of civil society actors; ensure that all legislation affecting their ability to work complies with relevant international human rights laws and standards and with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders."
- "In the context of access to information, Member States should: (a) Enact clear laws, regulations and policies that guarantee the proactive disclosure of information held by public bodies, including those exercising public functions, and provide a general right to request and receive such information, subject only to clearly and narrowly defined exceptions in accordance with international human rights law and standards; guarantee the right to access information held by private bodies where it is essential to the exercise or protection of human rights; and provide a right to appeal to an independent body for any refusal to disclose information."
- "In the context of the provision of long-term support and resources for civil society organizations, Member States should: (a) Recognizing that undue restrictions to funding is a violation of the right to freedom of association, ensure that civil society actors can seek, receive and use funding and other resources, whether domestic or foreign, without prior authorization or other undue impediments; where no restrictions on the receipt of foreign funds apply to State institutions or businesses, the same should apply to civil society organizations."
- "Member States should: a. ensure an enabling legal framework and a conducive political and public environment for human rights defenders, enabling individuals, groups, civil society organisations and national institutions for the protection and promotion of human rights (NHRIs) to freely carry out activities, on a legal basis, consistent with international law and standards, to strive for the protection and promotion of all human rights and fundamental freedoms."
- "Member States should: (…) c. remove any unnecessary, unlawful or arbitrary restrictions to civil society space, in particular with regards to freedom of association, peaceful assembly and expression."
- "Member States should: (…) f. ensure timely and transparent public consultations in policy development and draft legislation, especially where it may affect civil society."
- "Member States should: (…) d. ensure that the various forms of hate crime, including acts of violence, hate speech and public incitement to hatred and violence, are prohibited under national law, and take measures to prevent and combat cases of hate crime and hate speech, in particular by carrying out effective investigations with the aim of ending impunity."
- "Member States should take effective measures to protect civil society space, in particular to: a. prevent violations of the rights of human rights defenders including smear campaigns, threats and attacks against them, and other attempts to hinder their work."
- "Member States should take effective measures to promote civil society space, in particular to: a. ensure access to resources to support the stable funding of human rights defenders, including NHRIs and civil society organisations, and increase efforts to promote their activities."
- "The European Parliament, (…) 3. Is deeply concerned that the closing down of civil society space in developing countries is being carried out in increasingly complex and sophisticated ways, which are harder to tackle and imposed through legislation, taxation, funding limitations, increased bureaucracy, reporting and banking requirements, the criminalisation and stigmatisation of CSO representatives, defamation, all forms of harassment, online repression and internet access limitations, censorship, arbitrary detention, gender-based violence, torture and assassination, in particular in conflict-stricken states; insists on the necessity of tackling governmental and non-governmental tactics of marginalising critical voices."
- "The European Parliament, (…) 6. Insists that states have the primary responsibility and are under the obligation to protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, and have a duty to provide a political, legal and administrative environment conducive to a free and functioning civil society, in which free and safe operation and access to funding is ensured, including through foreign sources."
- "The Assembly calls on all member States to: (...) 10.2. review and repeal or amend legislation that impedes the free and independent work of NGOs and ensure that this legislation is in conformity with international human rights instruments regarding the rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression (...)."
- "The Assembly calls on all member States to: (...) 10.3 refrain from adopting new laws which would result in unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions or financial burdens on NGO activities; 10.4 ensure that NGOs can seek, receive and use transparent funding and other resources, whether domestic or foreign, without discrimination or undue impediments."
- "The Assembly calls on all member States to: (...) 10.5. ensure that NGOs are effectively involved in the consultation process concerning new legislation which concerns them and other issues of particular importance to society, such as the protection of human rights."
- "The Assembly calls on all member States to: (...) 10.6. ensure an enabling environment for civil society, in particular by refraining from any harassment (judicial, administrative or tax-related), negative public discourse, smear campaigns against NGOs and intimidation of civil society activists."
- "Media organisations should be encouraged to adopt self-regulatory measures, internal codes of conduct/ethics and internal supervision, and develop standards in media coverage that promotes gender equality, in order to promote a consistent internal policy and working conditions aimed at: - equal access to, and representation in, media work for women and men, including in the areas where women are underrepresented; - a balanced participation of women and men in management posts, in bodies with an advisory, regulatory or internal supervisory role, and generally in the decision-making process; - a non-stereotyped image, role and visibility of women and men, avoidance of sexist advertising, language and content which could lead to discrimination on grounds of sex, incitement to hatred and gender-based violence."
- "States have a positive obligation to foster a favourable environment for freedom of expression, offline and online, in which everyone can exercise their right to freedom of expression and participate in public debate effectively, irrespective of whether their views are received favourably by the State or others. Such an environment encompasses the rights to privacy and data protection, and the right to access information on issues of public interest held by public bodies that is necessary for the exercise of the right to freedom of expression."
- "National legislative and policy frameworks should safeguard the editorial independence and operational autonomy of all media to ensure that they can carry out their key tasks in a democratic society. These frameworks should be designed and implemented in a manner which prevents States, or any powerful political, economic, religious or other groups from acquiring dominance over and exerting pressure on the media."
- "The media should have the freedom and resources at all times to fulfil their task of providing accurate and reliable reporting on matters of public interest, in particular concerning vital democratic processes and activities, such as elections, referendums and public consultations on matters of general interest."