PRESS RELEASE : UN Human Rights Council 55 – Right to freedom of peaceful assembly [March 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 March 2024.

UK statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association.

Thank you, Mr President,

The UK welcomes the Special Rapporteur’s report, and we thank him for his dedication to the mandate during his tenure, including his numerous country visits and important thematic reports. We welcome the recommendations to engage with civil society, and we hope the standard he has set on what it is a priority issue for the UK will endure.

Mr President,

The right to peaceful protest is part of democratic society. In the UK, it is a long-standing tradition for people to gather and demonstrate their point of view, provided they do so within the confines of the law. We agree that both the government and law enforcement have a duty to uphold the human rights of all individuals, including when facilitating assemblies.

We also agree that the policing of protests must be proportionate, protecting the right to protest whilst also having a duty to maintain public safety and peace.

Special Rapporteur,

What steps do you feel governments can take to best support law enforcement practices around the world in balancing the rights of protestors with the rights of others to go about their daily lives without serious disruption?

Thank you.