Statement on freedom of expression for the commonwealth

• Author: Robert Martin
• Pages: 685-692

STATEMENT

ON

FREEDOM

Of

EXPRESSION

FOR

THE

COMMONWEALTH

reedom

of

expression

is a

universal human right. Freedom

of

expres-

sion

is

enshrined

in

many international

and

regional instruments,

most notably

the

Universal

Declaration

of

Human

Rights

and the

International

Covenant

on

Civil

and

Political

Rights.

Respect

for

freedom

of

expression inheres

in the

Commonwealth

as an

organization

and is

implicit

in the

Harare

Declaration

of

1991,

which recognizes democracy,

just

and

honest

government,

and

human rights

as

fundamental

political

values

of the

Commonwealth.

The

constitutions

of

many democratic states

contain formally entrenched

protection

for

freedom

of

expression.

While freedom

of

expression

is a

universal human right,

the

diversity

of

peoples

and

cultures

that

make

up the

Commonwealth

must

be

acknowledged.

Uniformity

in the

implementation

and

protection

of

free-

dom of

expression

is

unnecessary. There

is,

nonetheless,

a

core

of

common

principles

at the

heart

of

freedom

of

expression.

Freedom

of

expression means

the

freedom

to

receive

and

impart ideas,

opinions,

and

information without interference, hindrance,

or

intimida-

tion.

It

belongs

to all

persons

and

maybe

exercised through speaking, writ-

ing,

publishing

and

broadcasting,

or

through physical acts.

Freedom

of

expression

is the

primary freedom,

an

essential precondi-

tion

to the

exercise

of

other freedoms.

It is the

foundation upon which

other

rights

and

freedoms arise.

New

technologies

as

well

as

developments

in

older technologies

are

transforming

the

practice

of

freedom

of

expression.

685

F