Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

Purpose of the mandate

The United Nations recognizes the importance of the rights to peaceful assembly and of association to the full enjoyment of civil and political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights. This mandate was created to:

• Gather and share information about global, regional and local trends and issues relating to peaceful assembly and association
• Make recommendations on how to ensure the promotion and protection of these rights
• Report on violations, as well as discrimination, threats or use of violence, harassment, persecution, intimidation or reprisals directed at persons exercising these rights

About the mandate

In October 2010, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 15/21 establishing the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for an initial period of three years.

The Council extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur a first time in September 2013 (resolution 24/5) and a second time in June 2016 (resolution 32/32). The mandate was last renewed in July 2019 (resolution 41/12) for a period of three years.

The mandate-holder serves for an initial period of three years, renewable once.

Learn more about the mandate

Current mandate holder

Clément Nyaletsossi VOULE has been Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association since April 2018. Mr. Voule has worked tirelessly as a human rights advocate and defender in his native country, Togo, and across Africa. He holds a degree in Fundamental Rights from Nantes University in France, and a Masters Diploma in International Law in Armed Conflict from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

Read Mr. Voule’s full biography

Key documents

Guidelines for lawyers in support of peaceful assemblies

A set of key principles on the role of lawyers in upholding the rights to freedom of assembly and association but also a non-exhaustive list of practical recommendations for lawyers, aimed at supporting them in their work to provide access to justice in the context of peaceful assemblies.

General principles on protecting civic space and the right to access resources

This document summarizes three general principles under international human rights norms and standards regarding the ability of civil society to seek, receive and use resources. It provides arguments supporting specific aspects of each principle, as well as the legal basis or background for the argument.

Checklist: 10 principles for the proper management of assemblies

A step-by-step checklist for monitoring implementation of the practical recommendations on the management of assemblies report (A/HRC/31/66) by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Former Special Rapporteurs

Ms. Annalisa Ciampi (Italy)
1 May 2017 - 30 November 2017

Mr. Maina Kiai (Kenya)
1 May 2011 - 30 April 2017