Thailand: a new tool to protect freedom of peaceful assembly

General Comment (GC) No.37 of the HR Committee translated

At its 129th session in July 2020, the HR Committee adopted its General Comment (No.37) on the Article 21 of the ICCPR (right of peaceful assembly). The GC No.37 is the first of GC of the Committee dealing with the freedom of peaceful assembly and more comprehensively sets out how the ICCPR article 21 should be interpreted and implemented by all member States. It provides detailed explanation of the article i.e. freedom, including its scope, obligations of the States parties, possible restrictions on the freedom, notification regimes, duties and powers of law enforcement agencies, assemblies during states of emergency and armed conflict, and its relation with other provisions of the ICCPR.

This GC comes so timely as the right of peaceful assembly has become one of the most critical issues around the world, where the freedom of assembly is put under increasing pressure and restrictions. 

The Centre, in cooperation with the International Commission of Jurists Asia and the Pacific (ICJ - Asia Pacific), has produced an informal translation of the HR Committee's GC No.37 in Thai. The Centre strongly believes the GC No.37 of the HR Committee, together with its translation into different languages, is a great and practical tool to effectively protect and promote the freedom of peaceful assembly on the ground.