UN rapporteur lands in Manila

 UN rapporteur lands in Manila

Irene Khan, a Special Rapporteur for the United Nations, arrived in the Philippines on Monday and will be there for ten days to assess the country's progress in granting people the freedom to express themselves.

Khan will carry out her mission in the nation from January 23 to February 2, according to a post made by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on X, formerly Twitter.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs stated that after her visit, Khan is expected to produce a final report to be considered during the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025. The Philippines welcomes UN Special Rapporteur Irene Khan on her 10-day visit focused on free speech and opinion," the DFA wrote on X.



In a spirit of transparency and collaboration, the DFA stated that the Philippine government "is giving its full support for the successful implementation of the UN SR's (Special Rapporteur) mandate during her country visit." "This visit underscores the Philippines' commitment to fostering a robust environment for freedom of expression and opinion, in alignment with global human rights principles," the DFA said.

Khan is the Philippines' third Special Rapporteur since 2022, "as part of the government's open and constructive engagement on human rights with relevant UN mechanisms," according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

To "explore" legal and policy frameworks on the safety of journalists and their sources, freedom of opinion and expression in the digital age, media freedom, information access, hate speech, and the expression of marginalized peoples, including indigenous peoples, Khan will travel to Metro Manila, Baguio City, and Cebu City.

The Philippine government and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have arranged for her to meet with representatives of civil society, private companies, and government officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Justice, and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.

Since August 1, 2020, Khan has served as the United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and defense of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Promoting freedom of speech and opinion "both offline and online, under international human rights law and standards," according to the DFA, is part of her role.


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