Following its Bureau’s decision on May 6, 2020, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) launched, on May 14, 2020, an interactive platform on the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the digital space: www.taabiratraqmya.ma (digital expressions in Arabic).
This platform aims to interact with specialists, various stakeholders, and the general public on this right and its restrictions, as enshrined in international human rights law protecting freedom of opinion and expression. This includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
“The idea behind the platform takes into account the fundamental and central role of freedom of opinion and expression and its importance in a democratic society, CNDH Chairperson Ms. Amina Bouayach said. “The right to freedom of expression is a fundamental right in itself. It’s also essential to the enjoyment of other rights and freedoms. That’s why freedom of expression is considered as a cornerstone in any society where freedom and democracy prevail”, she added.
Through this platform, the CNDH aspires to contribute to the public debate related to the challenges of the new forms and ways of freedom of opinion and expression and to the collective insight on the ethics of using digital technologies and social media as tools to exercise freedoms. This initiative also aspires to learn from experiences and best practices to draw national ethics to use digital space in the public arena.
The platform is launched in line with CNDH’s prerogatives and its thorough mandate, defined by its founding law # 76-15 and the Paris Principles. It’s a follow up on the general conclusion of its 2019 annual human rights report, which considered that extending freedoms in public space is the greatest challenge facing our emerging democratic institutions, mainly freedom of expression, in general, and online freedom of expression in particular. The platform is launched in implementation of specific recommendation of the report: opening a public debate on this topic, bringing together all stakeholders and taking into account the related evolutions, particularly in the digital and social media platforms, to promote and protect the right to freedom of opinion and expression, but also protect and promote individuals’ right to privacy.
