A/HRC/44/52 that ensuring an Internet free from gender-based violence enhanced women’s empowerment. They also highlighted the fact that women victims and survivors needed transparent and fast responses and effective remedies, which could only be achieved if both States and private actors worked together and exercised due diligence to eliminate online violence against women.39 77. Legislation intended to protect women against online violence but not carefully designed in accordance with the international human rights framework may have adverse collateral effects on other human rights. For instance, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression has already pointed out that any State-imposed content restrictions should be provided by law, pursue one of the purposes set out in article 19 (3) of the Covenant and respect the principles of necessity and proportionality (A/HRC/17/27, para. 24 and A/66/290, para. 15). B. Regional response 1. African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 78. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has created special mechanisms that can raise issues concerning the safety of journalists through the Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and access to information. 79. In November 2017, participants in a conference on the safety of journalists and ending impunity for crimes committed against journalists in Africa, organized by UNESCO and the Federation of African Journalists, adopted the Nairobi Declaration on National Mechanisms for Safety of Journalists. The conference also adopted the Addis Ababa resolution on the creation of an African Union working group on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity in Africa. 2. Council of Europe 80. Article 17 of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) requires States parties to actively encourage the private sector and the media to contribute to the prevention of violence against women. It explains the rationale for the private sector and the media to engage in the fight against violence against women, offering practical advice and setting out good practices. The importance of collaboration between Governments, the private sector and the media to promote measures to prevent gender-based and domestic violence is also emphasized. 81. In 2016, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation (CM/Rec(2016)4) on the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists and other media actors. In the resolution, the Committee recognized that women journalists and other female media actors faced specific gender-related dangers, including sexist, misogynist and degrading abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment and sexual aggression and violence, and that such violations were increasingly taking place online (para. 2). In the guidelines set out in the appendix to the recommendation, States were called upon to “take appropriate preventive operational measures, such as providing police protection, especially when it is requested by journalists or other media actors, or voluntary evacuation to a safe place. Those measures should be effective and timely and should be designed with consideration for gender-specific dangers faced by female journalists and other female media actors” (para. 9). 82. The Council of Europe platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists documents attacks on journalists and aims to improve the protection of journalists by fostering early warning mechanisms, better addressing threats and violence and improving the capacity for responding to them. 39 Available from www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx? NewsID=21317. 15