Human Rights Council – 62nd Session
Item 3 - Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Ms. Gina Romero
FOC Joint Statement - Special Rapporteur on the rights to
freedom of peaceful assembly and of association (FoAA) Report
23.06.2026
Mr President,
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the members of the Freedom Online Coalition.
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her timely report which demonstrates that disinformation campaigns as well as unlawful and arbitrary surveillance, including through the misuse of AI-enabled technologies, intrusive spyware, and malicious cyber incidents, increasingly undermine the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, both online and offl ine.
Independent journalists and media workers, human rights defenders, and lawyers, are particularly affected, including through online harassment, smear campaigns, censorship, other forms of intimidation and surveillance.
Recent developments have highlighted the fragility of spaces for international civil society engagement and cooperation.
As the report highlights, even the perception of surveillance can generate fear, self-censorship, and reduced participation in public life, which in turn contributes to the erosion of democracy.
The Freedom Online Coalition reaffi rms that the same rights people enjoy offl ine must also be protected online. Any surveillance measures must comply with international law, including international human rights law, and be consistent with international human rights norms.
We support the report’s call for stronger safeguards, meaningful human rights due diligence, transparency, and accountability for both States and technology companies.
Special Rapporteur,
In light of the increasingly transnational nature of digital surveillance and repression, what additional international or multistakeholder measures do you consider most urgent to better protect civic space and human rights defenders online?
Thank you.