United Nations Human Rights Council

Global Access to Free Media

St. John's Preparatory School • Danvers, Massachusetts • 10 December 2016

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �1

Letter from the Chair

Dear Delegates,

My name is Sean Welch, I am a Senior at St. John’s Prep and I will be serving as your chair for

the United Nations Human Rights Council on Free Media. This is my fourth year as a member of the

Model United Nations Club. Since freshman year, I have attended multiple conferences, both college

and high school, and thoroughly enjoy participating and cooperating with delegates from across the

region. I am incredibly enthusiastic about hearing healthy debate regarding free media come

December. Between the time that you receive this briefing paper and December 10th, I urge every one

of you to research thoroughly this topic as a whole and to come to know your country’s views. In this

document, you will find information that can be used to help you gain an understanding of the

problem. To be a successful participant during committee, I recommend researching in three areas:

first, gain a basic knowledge of the history and goals of the Human Rights Council. Second, research

the problem of media freedom around the world. Third, find out your country’s specific views on free

media and involvement in prior debate. Then, critically think about what must be done to create a

successful resolution. Good luck, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email me!

Regards,

Sean Welch ‘17,

swelch17@stjohnsprep.org

Chair, UNHRC on Free Media, SJP MUN XI

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �2

Committee Description

The United Nations Human Rights Council was established on March 15, 2006 in order to

monitor the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This document

ensures worldwide human rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Essentially, the

Covenant lays out the basic human rights the United Nations believes should be universally

guaranteed. All state parties are required to submit regular reports regarding whether or not the human

rights laid out by the Covenant are being implemented in their country. Furthermore, the Council is

designed to attend to inter-state and individual grievances regarding alleged violations of the Covenant.

The Council, made up of 47 member states elected by the UN General Assembly, discusses all human

rights issues or situations that require attention throughout the calendar year. 1

Statement of the Problem

Today, the number of countries with free press is the lowest it has been in a decade, with only

14% of the world’s population living in a place that allows free press . The United Nations Declaration 2

of Human Rights claims that "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right

includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and

ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." Due to the implementation of new technology, 3

press coverage is growing throughout the world. However, for many governments, more press means

more criticism. Investigative journalists expose various corruption scandals that often lead to critique

"United Nations Human Rights Council." Welcome to the Human Rights Council. United Nations 1

Human Rights Council, Web. 16 June 2016.

Manuli, Gabriela. "Less than 14% of World Lives in Countries with Free Press." Global Investigative 2

Journalism Network. N.p., 07 May 2013. Web. 14 June 2016.

"World Press Freedom Day." UN News Center. UN, Web. 13 June 2016.3

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �3

or, in more extreme cases, change. As a result, an increasing number of countries are banning free

press. Governments that do not allow free press punish or threaten journalists who seek potentially

hurtful truths, thus oppressing the freedom of thought and stagnating the intellectual progress that

results from free press. The United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) states that

journalists around the world “Languish in detention, some in appalling conditions, for shedding light

on governance failures, corporate malfeasance or societal problems.” As a council whose purpose is to 4

ensure human rights, a resolution to the growing problem of media oppression is a priority.

The absence of free media implicates issues beyond a breach of human rights. According the

United Nations, “Free media: can ensure transparency, accountability and the rule of law; promote

participation in public and political discourse, and contribute to the fight against poverty”(UNESCO).

In order to measure the correlation between free media and domestic growth, the United Nations

Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) used the Human Development

Index(HDI) model to measure countries’ growth. This model uses life expectancy at birth, average

enrolment and literacy rates and real GDP per capita to measure the overall development of a country.

Results results showed that “Countries with a high development level (HDI above 0.8) are generally

characterized by a relatively free press”(Guseva). The research displays that freedom of the press

allows for scholastic growth and intellectual investigation. Such growth then results in economic

growth and industrial development. In addition to development, research indicates that free press plays

a key role in the standard of living. According to recent research, “A low level of press freedom is

strongly associated with a high percentage of people living below the poverty line”(Guseva). This

indicates that free press not only strengthens a state's economy, but it also changes the day-to-day lives

"Free Press: It’s Your Right!" United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe. 4

UNRIC, 3 May 2016. Web. 14 June 2016.

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �4

of its inhabitants. An additional indicator of the well-being of a state and its people is the level of

income inequality. A high level of press freedom is reported to be correlated with low levels of

inequality (Guseva). In this sense, free press is essential in the amelioration of a state's economic and

social makeup. Securing freedom of the press is fundamental to securing every other human right.

History of the Problem

The right of free press came as a result of the belief in freedom of speech. Enlightenment

philosophers such as Voltaire and Montesquieu spread the idea of free speech through various

publications. Following the American and French Revolutions, free speech became widely accepted as

a human right. As history progressed, new American and French ideals spread throughout the world as

a model for the universal rights of all people . 5

Two centuries later, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of

Human Rights on December 10, 1948 in which Article 19 declares that “Everyone has the right to

freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference

and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of

frontiers”(UNGA). In many ways, this Universal Declaration parallels the values and beliefs laid out in

the American Bill of Rights. Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D. states that “The first 20 or so articles of the U.N.’s

Universal Declaration of Human Rights are like our Bill of Rights.” Free press is a universal right born

through early Enlightenment thinking and sustained by documents that lay the foundation for the most

powerful nation states.

Guider, Alison. "Freedom of Expression and the Enlightenment.": n. pag. Oxford University, May 5

2015. Web. 15 June 2016.

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �5

Violations of the right to free press have existed as long as press itself. In the 19th century,

censorship was prevalent all throughout the world, and even the Roman Catholic Church. In Japan,

China, Britain, and Russia, journalists were tightly controlled by government overseers (Newth).

Beyond government control, many libraries banned certain publications because of controversial

remarks or themes. The most famous example, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,

was first banned in 1885 by a Massachusetts library (Newth). Even in modern day society,

governments ban or retire books that pertain to controversial or adverse topics. In fact, “In 1991 the

Serbian government banned Albanian as a language of instruction at all levels of education.”(Newth)

Other examples of government censorship included Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, Apartheid South

Africa, and modern-day Iran. In each of the countries, publications were either reviewed by the

government or were banned from publication (Newth). Rather than allowing media outlets to publicize

their writing, governments would first review whether or not those publications would in any way

change public opinion. If after reading these publications and finding they would be a detriment to

public opinion of the government, the writing would not be allowed to be released. In developed

nations, such as the Switzerland, the government is allowed to keep government documents from the

public, but only for safety reasons. This rule brings to light an entirely different debate regarding

information kept from the public.

In a multitude of countries, intelligence organizations, such as the National Security Agency

(NSA), are responsible for implementing government censorship. Organizations such as Wikileaks aim

to ensure governmental transparency. However, in recent years it has come to light that even in the

United States, which ensures free media in its Constitution, full transparency is nonexistent. Men such

as Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, or Edward Snowden, who exposed classified information,

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �6

seek to ensure transparency. However, many consider that by being transparent, countries also put

themselves at risk. The UNHRC upholds the right to free media as laid out in the Covenant.

In December 1993, the United Nations General Assembly established May 3rd as World Press

Freedom Day. The holiday was created in order to “Celebrate the fundamental principles of press

freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on

their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty”(World

Press Freedom Day). Every May, the UN gathers to celebrate free press and encourage currently

oppressive countries to follow the human rights laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Each year, unique themes that are relevant to current, world issues are presented by various speakers,

including the UN Secretary General.

In September of 2015, the UN General Assembly issued a report on freedom of expression

clarifying people’s right to free press and thought. In the release, it asserts that “States bear the burden

of justifying any withholding of information” from their citizens. However, numerous countries 6

continue to suppress information and censor publications. Despite Article 19’s clear statement of free

press as a universal human right, violations continue to grow at a staggering pace.

Questions to Consider

• To what degree can society have freedom of press?

• Are there cases in which government censorship of information preserves the structural integrity of a

country?

"Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of 6

Opinion and Expression." UN News Center. UN, 8 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 June 2016.

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �7

• What measures could be adopted to protect journalists reporting both within and outside their

countries?

• How can the United Nations help free jailed journalists who are being punished for expressing their

opinion?

• Why don’t certain countries allow the right to free media?

• Does censorship help or hinder the sustainability of a country’s well being?

• Why is it critical to establish and protect free media?

• Are internal forces, such as the NSA or CIA, effective in monitoring free press? Should the United

Nations suggest that countries have internal monitoring agencies?

Bloc Positions

Note: Being designated to a certain bloc does not mean that all countries within that bloc are allies. For example, in the “red” bloc, Qatar and Saudi Arabia would most likely vote together but not with China out of a fear of Chinese dominance. These bloc positions are simply to give each country an idea of where other countries stand relative to this topic. To get started with research, visit this website for an interactive map that gives a rating of each country’s level of free media: https://rsf.org/en/ranking#

*Does not protect free media

*Protects free media

*No position

*Russian Federation *China *Mexico *Algeria *Vietnam *Saudi Arabia *Qatar *Morocco *Cuba *Paraguay

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �8

*Venezuela *Ethiopia *Israel *Brazil *Ecuador *Libya

*Belgium *France *Germany *Netherlands *Switzerland *Portugal *United Kingdom *Ghana *Latvia *United States *Georgia *Slovenia *Denmark *Jamaica *Costa Rica *Austria *Sweden

*Albania *Botswana *India *Indonesia *Bangladesh *Republic of Korea *Philippines *Mongolia *South Africa *Namibia *Panama *Nigeria *Poland *Spain *Czech Republic *Madagascar *Tanzania

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �9

Works Cited

"Free Press: It’s Your Right!" United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe.

UNRIC, 3 May 2016. Web. 14 June 2016.

Guider, Alison. "Freedom of Expression and the Enlightenment.": n. pag. Oxford University,

May 2015. Web. 15 June 2016.

Guseva, Marina, Mounira Nakaa, Anne-Sophie Novel, Kirsi Pekkala, Bachir Souberou, and

Sami Stouli. "Press Freedom and Development." (n.d.): n. pag. United Nations Educational

Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2008. Web. 14 June 2016.

Holmes, Kim R., Ph.D. "The Great Divide: The Ideological Legacies of the American and

French Revolutions." The Heritage Foundation. N.p., 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 June 2016.

"Human Rights." Human Rights Film Festivals: n. pag. United Nations. Web. 14 June 2016.

Kaye, David. "Presentation of David Kaye at the World Press Freedom Day International

Conference." United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commisioner. United Nations, 3

May 2015. Web. 13 June 2016.

Manuli, Gabriela. "Less than 14% of World Lives in Countries with Free Press." Global

Investigative Journalism Network. N.p., 07 May 2013. Web. 14 June 2016.

Newth, Mette. "The Long History of Censorship." The Long History of Censorship. Beacon for

Freedom of Expression, 2010. Web. 15 June 2016.

"Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of

Opinion and Expression." UN News Center. UN, 8 Sept. 2015. Web. 15 June 2016.

"United Nations Human Rights Council." Welcome to the Human Rights Council. United

Nations Human Rights Council, n.d. Web. 16 June 2016.

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �10

"Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Springer Reference (n.d.): n. pag. United Nations

General Assembly, 10 Dec. 1948. Web. 15 June 2016.

"World Press Freedom Day." UN News Center. UN, Web. 13 June 2016.

UNHRC • FREE MEDIA �11