As part of the official country visit of the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression to the Philippines, Ms. Irene Khan met with officials from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on 30 January 2024 to further gain insights on the situation of the country’s freedom of the press, laws which concern the Filipinos’ right to expression and access to digital communications, and how these affect various sectors, including the marginalised.

During the mission of the Special Rapporteur, it is expected that opportunities and challenges pertaining to the Philippines’ freedom of opinion and expression will be identified, which will then be utilised to craft recommendations that address gaps based on her observations.

The findings of the Special Rapporteur based on her meeting with the CHR will be part of her final report which will be presented during the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025. Preliminary observations and implementation of Ms. Khan’s recommendations will be discussed with the Philippine government at the end of her visit, while a press conference will be organised to facilitate sharing with the broader public.

It must be noted that the conduct of country visits of Special Rapporteurs are part of the special procedures established by the UN. Their mandate is to report and advise on a range of human rights concerns from a thematic or country-specific point of view on behalf of the Human Rights Council.

CHR is one of the government institutions visited by the Special Rapporteur in order to assess the current status of the Philippines’ compliance to its human rights obligations, particularly within the context of freedom of opinion and expression. Representatives from civil society organisations and private companies also took part in separate engagements with Ms. Khan as arranged by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, alongside field visits in Baguio and Cebu.###