Freedom of Expression
Press Release R207/17
Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and UNESCO Invite Judges and Judicial Officers to the Online Course "International Legal Framework on Freedom of Expression, Access to Information, and the Safety of Journalists"
December 14, 2017
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are pleased to invite judges and judicial officers from Latin America to participate in the online course "International Legal Framework on Freedom of Expression, Access to Information, and the Safety of Journalists." The course, which has trained more than 5,000 participants since it began in 2014, is an initiative of the Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, UNESCO, and the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas at Austin.
The course will be taught from April 2 to May 13, 2018, with the objective of training judicial officers (judges, prosecutors, and lawyers) from the region, reinforcing their knowledge of international standards on the right to freedom of expression, access to public information, the protection of journalists, and the fight against impunity in cases of crimes against journalists. It will provide a space for interaction and dialogue between the inter-American human rights system and judicial officers in Latin America and guarantee national justice in cases related to freedom of expression.
Given its relevance and excellence, the Ibero-American Judicial Summit declared the initiative of interest at its 2016 Plenary Assembly. The course will be conducted virtually and is completely free of charge. Participants must take part in weekly discussions and complete specific assignments during the 6 week program, in the following modules:
1. General Introduction to the International Legal Framework for Freedom of Expression.
2. Violence against freedom of expression: the role of the judiciary in the investigation and prosecution of crimes committed against individuals in retaliation for the exercise of their right to freedom of expression or as a mechanism to prevent them from exercising this right.
3. Limits to the exercise of freedom of expression: difficulties arising from the use of criminal law.
4. Introduction to new challenges to freedom of expression on the internet.
5. The right of access to information and freedom of expression.
6. Diversity and pluralism in the media.
The course will be taught by Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Edison Lanza, former IACHR Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Catalina Botero, and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Frank La Rue.
This virtual course is a joint effort of the Office of the Special Rapporteur and UNESCO, and aims to cooperate with the region’s judiciaries in the ongoing professional development of judges on the complex subject of the content and scope of freedom of expression. The course counts with the support of the the Ibero-American Network of Judicial Schools, the Government of the United States, the Government of Sweden, the Foundation for Freedom of the Press (FLIP), The Andres University (Colombia) the Latin American Internet Association and the OAS School of Government.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur offers and promotes the online course "International Legal Framework on Freedom of Expression, Access to Information, and the Safety of Journalists" pursuant to its mandate to conduct promotional and educational activities on the right to freedom of thought and expression in the region.
Interested persons should apply to the course through this online form by March 25, 2018. Once you have received the email informing you that your application has been accepted, you should create an account on JournalismCourses.org, the e-learning platform of the Knight Center, where the course will be taught. Questions may be addressed to course assistant Silvia Higuera at silvia.knightcenter@gmail.com.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression is an office created by the IACHR to encourage hemispheric defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression, considering its fundamental role in the consolidation and development of the democratic system. In 2017, the Office of the Special Rapporteur celebrated its 20th anniversary.
R207/17