Representatives of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Wednesday met with United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan to gain insights on the situation of the country’s press freedom.
The meeting also tackled laws on the rights of Filipinos to expression and access to digital communications and their impacts on various sectors, including the marginalized.
The findings of the Special Rapporteur based on her meeting with the CHR would be part of her final report to be presented at the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025.
The preliminary observations and implementation of Khan’s recommendations would be discussed with the government at the end of her visit.
“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 said.
The 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 organizations and private companies also took part in separate engagements with Khan as arranged by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, alongside
field visits in Baguio and Cebu.