Communications Participation in meetings and seminars

AHRC1727 5

II. Activities of the Special Rapporteur

A. Communications

4. Between 20 March 2010 and 31 March 2011, the Special Rapporteur sent 195 communications, 188 of which were submitted jointly with other special procedures mandate holders. The geographical distribution of the communications was as follows: 29 per cent for Asia and the Pacific; 26 per cent for the Middle East and North Africa; 16 per cent for Africa; 15 per cent for Latin America and the Caribbean; and 14 per cent for Europe, Central Asia and North America. The summary of communications sent and replies received from Governments can be found in the first addendum to this report AHRC1727Add.1.

B. Participation in meetings and seminars

5. The Special Rapporteur, with the support of local organizations, organized a series of expert regional consultations, beginning in March 2010 in Stockholm, followed by Buenos Aires 18-19 October 2010, Bangkok 18-19 November 2010, Cairo 11-13 January 2011, Johannesburg 15-16 February 2011, and Delhi 2-3 March 2011. The regional consultations concluded on 30 March 2011 with an expert meeting in Stockholm, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden. These meetings brought together experts and human rights defenders working on a range of Internet and freedom of expression-related issues in order to better understand their experience, needs and priorities in different countries and regions for the purposes of this report. 6. From 14 to 17 September 2010, the Special Rapporteur attended the Fifth Internet Governance Forum in Vilnius. 7. On 30 November 2010, the Special Rapporteur participated in an expert round table entitled “Equality, Non-discrimination and Diversity: Challenge or Opportunity for the Mass Media?” in Geneva, organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OHCHR. 8. On 9 and 10 February 2011 and on 6 and 7 April 2011, the Special Rapporteur participated as an expert in the regional expert workshops on the prohibition of incitement to national, racial or religious hatred organized by OHCHR in Vienna and Nairobi respectively. 9. On 16 March 2011, the Special Rapporteur shared his views regarding the compatibility of blocking child pornography on the Internet with the right to freedom of expression in the context of discussions on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. 10. The Special Rapporteur also participated in a series of academic events in other countries, including Guatemala, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Sweden and the United States of America.

C. Country visits