A/HRC/44/49 of the blackout in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. 30 The persistence of Internet shutdowns in parts of Myanmar continues to be of serious concern,31 particularly in light of COVID-19. In other contexts, mandate holders have raised concerns related to Iraqi service disruptions.32 A growing number of shutdowns have been imposed during election periods, including in Cameroon, Chad, the Gambia and Togo.33 Almost 200 Internet shutdowns of various varieties in 2018 have been documented, with almost two thirds occurring in India, and the remainder occurring principally in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.34 28. Internet shutdowns are an affront to the freedom of expression that every person is guaranteed under human rights law. Internet shutdowns during a pandemic risk the health and life of everyone denied such access – and that of others with whom they come in contact.35 They are an affront to the right of everyone, especially health-care workers, to access health information. There is no room for limitation of Internet access at the time of a health emergency that affects everyone from the most local to the global level. 29. Even apart from Internet shutdowns, the pandemic, and the importance of digital access to health-care information, highlights the profound need for expanding infrastructure to allow for access in the first place. The challenges arise in contexts of both the digital divide between developed and developing nations and that within developing nations. More than four billion people still do not have regular access to the Internet; 90 per cent of them live in the developing world. 36 Greater international coordination and support for digital connectivity is required, as identified by the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation.37 As part of any economic stimulus plans aimed at supporting communities and individuals during and after the pandemic, significant resources should be devoted to expanding broadband Internet access to those who do not now enjoy it. This includes not only providing communities with access but also ensuring that historically disadvantaged groups, and especially women, have robust, meaningful and affordable access to the Internet (see A/74/493). C. Protection and promotion of independent media 30. As noted above, journalism plays an essential role in the communication of information to the public, enabling individuals to exercise their rights to seek and receive information and to develop opinions about the public health threat so that they can take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their communities. This is indeed a moment to reinforce the fundamentally important role of a free, uncensored and unhindered media38 to self-governance. It is something the Human Rights Council has repeatedly emphasized, giving it priority particularly in the context of the mandate on freedom of expression. In its resolution 7/36, the Council mandated the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 10 See Global Justice Centre, “Bangladesh: end Internet blackout to protect public health of Rohingya refugees and host communities“, 2 April 2020; Phelim Kine, “Internet curbs on Rohingya risk wider virus outbreak“, Physicians for Human Rights, 30 March 2020. “UN experts concerned at surge in civilian casualties in northwest Myanmar after internet shutdown“, 18 February 2020. See also MMR 6/2019, available from https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/Tmsearch/TMDocuments. IRQ 4/2019. Available from https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/Tmsearch/TMDocuments. See research paper 1/2019 of the Special Rapporteur, on freedom of expression and elections in the digital age, June 2019, citing CMR 2/2017, TCD 3/2016, GMB 1/2017 and TGO 1/2017, p. 6. Available at www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/FreedomOpinion/Pages/ReserarchPapers.aspx. Access Now, “The state of Internet shutdowns around the world: the 2018 #KeepItOn report” (July 2019). Article 19: International Centre against Censorship, “Coronavirus: access to the internet can be a matter of life and death during a pandemic“, 31 March 2020. “Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 9 – industry, innovation and infrastructure”, United Nations Development Programme. Available at www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainabledevelopment-goals/goal-9-industry-innovation-and-infrastructure.html. See The Age of Digital Interdependence: Report of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation (June 2019). Human Rights Committee, general comment No. 34, para. 13.