ARTICLE-19-policy-on-prohibition-to-incitement
ARTICLE-19-policy-on-prohibition-to-incitement
ARTICLE-19-policy-on-prohibition-to-incitement
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• Incitement <strong>to</strong> racial discriminati<strong>on</strong>;<br />
• All acts of violence or <strong>incitement</strong> <strong>to</strong> such<br />
acts against any race or group of pers<strong>on</strong>s<br />
of another colour or ethnic origin;<br />
• Any assistance with racist activities,<br />
including the financing of them.<br />
The ICERD Committee interpreted Article 4<br />
as obliging the States <strong>to</strong> “penalize” these<br />
forms of misc<strong>on</strong>duct, i.e. prohibit them<br />
using criminal law sancti<strong>on</strong>s. 17<br />
Further, Article 5(viii) of the ICERD<br />
guarantees that a States party must<br />
guarantee the right of every<strong>on</strong>e <strong>to</strong> freedom<br />
of opini<strong>on</strong> and expressi<strong>on</strong> in relati<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong> all<br />
c<strong>on</strong>duct described above – except <strong>incitement</strong><br />
<strong>to</strong> acts of racially motivated violence, where<br />
the right <strong>to</strong> freedom of expressi<strong>on</strong> is not<br />
recognised as being applicable.<br />
<strong>to</strong> the State’s own norms regarding the<br />
balance between freedom of expressi<strong>on</strong> and<br />
prohibiti<strong>on</strong> of discriminati<strong>on</strong>. 18<br />
The ICERD Committee interpreted Article<br />
4 as obliging States <strong>to</strong> “penalize” these<br />
forms of misc<strong>on</strong>duct, i.e. <strong>to</strong> prohibit them<br />
through criminal law sancti<strong>on</strong>s. <str<strong>on</strong>g>19</str<strong>on</strong>g> Article<br />
4 stipulates that “measures designed <strong>to</strong><br />
eradicate all <strong>incitement</strong> <strong>to</strong>, or acts of, such<br />
discriminati<strong>on</strong>” should be undertaken “with<br />
due regard <strong>to</strong> the principles embodied in<br />
the Universal Declarati<strong>on</strong> of Human Rights<br />
and the rights expressly set forth in Article<br />
5 of this C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>.”<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>ARTICLE</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>19</str<strong>on</strong>g> notes that there is no<br />
internati<strong>on</strong>al c<strong>on</strong>sensus <strong>on</strong> the requirements<br />
of Article 4; the inclusi<strong>on</strong> of a “due regard”<br />
clause leaves room for discussi<strong>on</strong> about where<br />
the balance between the right <strong>to</strong> freedom<br />
of expressi<strong>on</strong> and the right <strong>to</strong> freedom from<br />
discriminati<strong>on</strong> should be struck. Furthermore,<br />
a number of States have entered reservati<strong>on</strong>s<br />
<strong>to</strong> Article 4, meaning that the nati<strong>on</strong>al<br />
implementati<strong>on</strong> of its requirements is subject<br />
17<br />
General Recommendati<strong>on</strong> No. 15: Organized violence based <strong>on</strong> ethnic origin (Art. 4); adopted <strong>on</strong> 23 March <str<strong>on</strong>g>19</str<strong>on</strong>g>93, General<br />
Recommendati<strong>on</strong> XV; available at http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/%28Symbol%29/e51277010496eb2cc12563ee004b976<br />
8Opendocument.<br />
18<br />
It should be noted that in General Comment No. 24, the HR Committee c<strong>on</strong>cluded that there are certain provisi<strong>on</strong>s in the<br />
ICCPR that reflected cus<strong>to</strong>mary internati<strong>on</strong>al law and these may not be the subject of reservati<strong>on</strong>s by States when they<br />
ratify. One such is the duty <strong>to</strong> prohibit the advocacy of nati<strong>on</strong>al racial or religious hatred. According <strong>to</strong> the HRC, cus<strong>to</strong>mary<br />
internati<strong>on</strong>al law binds all States in most circumstances whether or not they c<strong>on</strong>sent, and the prohibiti<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> racial<br />
discriminati<strong>on</strong> and the advocacy of hatred are part of cus<strong>to</strong>mary internati<strong>on</strong>al law. See General Comment No.24 Issues<br />
Relating <strong>to</strong> Reservati<strong>on</strong>s made up<strong>on</strong> ratificati<strong>on</strong> of accessi<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong> the Covenant or the Opti<strong>on</strong>al Pro<strong>to</strong>cols there<strong>to</strong>, or in relati<strong>on</strong> <strong>to</strong><br />
Declarati<strong>on</strong>s under Article 41 of the Covenant 52nd Sess., 11 November <str<strong>on</strong>g>19</str<strong>on</strong>g>94.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>19</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
General Recommendati<strong>on</strong> No. 15: Organized violence based <strong>on</strong> ethnic origin (Art. 4); adopted <strong>on</strong> 23 March <str<strong>on</strong>g>19</str<strong>on</strong>g>93, General<br />
Recommendati<strong>on</strong> XV; available at http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/%28Symbol%29/e51277010496eb2cc12563ee004b976<br />
8Opendocument.<br />
20<br />
C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong> for the Protecti<strong>on</strong> of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Rome, 4 September <str<strong>on</strong>g>19</str<strong>on</strong>g>50.<br />
13