In a new landmark resolution, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council has called on Governments around the world to refrain from using imprisonment or the imposition of fines for offences relating to the media where such measures are disproportionate to the gravity of the offence, and urged them to ensure that defamation and libel laws are not misused, particularly through criminal sanctions, to censor journalists, media outlets, and human rights defenders.
The wide-ranging resolution, unanimously adopted on July 6, 2026, also enjoined Governments to “ensure that measures for the respect of the rights or reputations of others and the protection of national security, including counter terrorism, public order and public health are in full compliance with international human rights obligations, including the principles of lawfulness, legitimacy, necessity and proportionality.”
According to the resolution, numbered A/HRC/62/L.12/Rev.1, titled “Freedom of opinion and expression,” the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which includes the freedom to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art or through any other media, is a human right guaranteed to all, and constitutes one of the essential foundations of democratic societies and for sustainable development.
The 11-page document was one of the 28 resolutions adopted by the Council at its 62nd regular session, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 15 to July 8, 2026, and called on States to strengthen protections for journalists, human rights defenders, civil society actors, and others facing growing threats both online and offline.
Expressing deep concern over continuing violations of the right to freedom of expression around the world, the Council condemned killings, arbitrary detention, torture, harassment, intimidation, unlawful surveillance, censorship, and the misuse of criminal laws, including defamation, cybercrime, counter-terrorism, and misinformation legislation, to suppress legitimate expression.
It also denounced the growing use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) to intimidate journalists, media organisations, and human rights defenders.
The Council devoted significant attention to the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging digital technologies, noting that although AI can expand access to information, support media pluralism, and facilitate public participation when deployed responsibly, AI systems can also undermine freedom of expression and privacy through profiling, facial recognition, behavioural prediction, synthetic media, bias, and discrimination when used without adequate safeguards.
It therefore stressed that AI applications that cannot be operated consistently with international human rights law should not be developed or used.
The Council also highlighted growing concern over AI-enabled disinformation, deepfakes, voice cloning, and other forms of synthetic media that threaten democratic processes and public trust.
It emphasized that responses to disinformation must comply with international human rights law and prioritize media and information literacy, access to reliable information, independent journalism, and transparent technological solutions rather than censorship.
Reaffirming that a free, open, interoperable, reliable, and secure Internet is essential for the enjoyment of human rights, the Council unequivocally condemned Internet shutdowns and other measures deliberately designed to disrupt access to online information, including blocking communication platforms, throttling services, and other forms of online censorship.
It urged governments to adopt and implement laws guaranteeing easy, prompt, and effective access to information held by public authorities, including through proactive disclosure, while ensuring that any restrictions on access remain narrowly defined.
The Council encouraged States to take measures to bridge digital divides and expand meaningful access to communications technologies, particularly for women and girls, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
Recognizing the increasingly dangerous environment in which journalists operate, it called on States to establish prevention and protection mechanisms for journalists and other media workers, safeguard the confidentiality of journalistic sources, protect editorial independence and media pluralism, and promote the economic sustainability of independent media.
In addition, it urged Governments to develop national action plans, in consultation with journalists and civil society organizations, to strengthen media freedom both online and offline.
The Council further encouraged governments to review and repeal laws that criminalize defamation where they are used to silence journalists and to enact measures protecting journalists, media organizations, and human rights defenders from abusive lawsuits intended to suppress public participation.
It called for stronger safeguards governing surveillance technologies, biometric identification systems, and the protection of personal data.
Addressing the responsibilities of the private sector, the Council urged technology companies, social media platforms, communications providers, and AI developers to conduct human rights due diligence, improve transparency around content moderation and automated decision-making systems, protect users’ digital communications through encryption and other security measures, and ensure that their products and business practices respect internationally recognized human rights standards.
As part of its follow-up actions, the Council requested the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in consultation with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and other relevant experts, to undertake broad consultations and prepare a comprehensive study on emerging and transnational threats to freedom of opinion and expression, including those arising from the misuse of AI and other new digital technologies.
The study is to be presented to the Council at its 67th session.
Read the full text of the resolution here.
