Objectives

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, Ms Irene Khan, will undertake an official visit to Honduras from 17 to 27 October 2023, at the invitation of the Government of Honduras.  During the visit, the Special Rapporteur will focus on good practices as well as challenges related to the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression, including access to information, in Honduras. She is expected to meet with a wide range of stakeholders from civil society, Government and State institutions. Based on her findings, she will formulate recommendations to the Government and other relevant stakeholders and will submit a written report to the UN Human Rights Council.

Key questions and types of input/comments sought

In preparation of her visit, the Special Rapporteur is seeking written input from civil society, human rights defenders and media organizations, journalists, experts, academics, and other interested stakeholders on issues related to the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including access to information, in Honduras. The Special Rapporteur would be grateful for information on any or all of the following issues:

• National laws, policies and the institutional framework related to freedom of expression, including access to information, as well as assessment of their implementation and relevant judicial decisions or pending cases and the effectiveness of the courts in protecting these rights.
• Media freedom, independence, pluralism and diversity in Honduras, including the functioning of media regulatory bodies.
• The safety of journalists, media workers, alternative and community media and the effectiveness of the State’s response through national mechanisms for the protection of journalists, media and human rights defenders and environmental and social justice activists.
• Patterns and prevalence of disinformation, misinformation, hate speech and smear campaigns online and offline, and measures taken by the Government, digital platforms and civil society to address such problems.
• Challenges affecting the freedom of expression, access to information and public participation of women, youth, LGBTQ+ persons, indigenous peoples, Afro-Honduran communities and other marginalized vulnerable groups, and measures taken to overcome them.
• Progress made towards addressing recommendations from the previous visit of UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression in 2012 (A/HRC/23/40/Add.1) and recommendations listed in the 2019 follow-up report (A/HRC/41/35/Add.2).
• Suggestions about stakeholders, institutions, media, and civil society or community-based organizations relevant to the mandate of the Special Rapporteur that she should meet during her visit.