A/HRC/27/33 different groups in conflict zones owing to the perception that they were “foreign agents”. In her opinion, the space for health workers, both in providing services in crises and advocacy for the right to health, including for people with disabilities, was under constant threat. She gave an example when emergency medical workers were attacked by security forces for providing emergency care to individuals wounded while attempting to exercise their right to freedom of expression. 19. In Ms. Pavey’s opinion, civil society had the most powerful impact on cultural transformation, which leads society in the evolution from pluralist to participatory democracy. She gave the example of Hrant Dink, editor-in-chief of the Armenian-Turkish bilingual newspaper Agos, which served as a civil society channel to give voice to the Armenian community in Turkey. This project, to which Ms. Pavey, a young woman with a disability, belonged, had contributed greatly to freedom of expression in the country. Furthermore, in 2013, when the Government of Turkey planned to open up protected areas and national parks for development projects, 121 environment and nature rights organizations came together under a joint platform to advocate systematically against the adoption of the draft law, which was subsequently withdrawn from Parliament. 20. Ms. Pavey pointed out that it was difficult for civil society to overcome cultural or political barriers in some societies, but when it was able to operate more freely, it delivered positive results in the fight against injustice and inequality and in combating racial and gender discrimination through peaceful methods. Civil society organizations often proved to be effective in working with Governments to remove barriers and discrimination. For example, LGBT communities advanced their cause purely through civil society movement while eschewing violent means. E. Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression 21. Like the Secretary-General, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression considered civil society to be a vital partner for the United Nations family in advancing human rights. International bodies and Governments alone could not achieve the fulfilment of human rights without the full participation of civil society. In his view, civil society was the fundamental element that guaranteed that human rights would be protected and expanded in the future. Identifying impunity as the biggest challenge to any democratic system, the Special Rapporteur stated that the rule of law with equal access to justice was a crucial element for civil society in all countries. Stressing the universality, equality, interrelatedness and interdependency of all human rights, he recognized that the exercise of some rights facilitated the achievement of other rights (for example, freedom of expression facilitated freedom of peaceful assembly and association), as well as democratic citizen participation and other fundamental freedoms. In his opinion, it was crucial that any democratic society guaranteed freedom of expression in its two dimensions: access to information, and expressing oneself, including through art, demonstrations and other forms. 22. The Special Rapporteur focused on six challenges facing civil society. The first was the universality of the Internet. He considered it important that everybody should have equal access to the Internet – an important communications instrument – in particular, for remote and rural populations. Failure to address this gap would deepen and widen the divide between the technologically privileged and economic elite and poorer sectors. Providing equal access to the Internet should be a priority for all States, even if this required the State to subsidize the service. 6