A/HRC/44/50 domestic, foreign and international sources.11 The mandate also advanced understanding of the impact of counter-terrorism and anti-money-laundering laws on the ability of associations to freely operate and access resources. 19. The Special Rapporteur pioneered an analysis of the linkages between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and explored legal and policy gaps in ensuring civil society and communities can contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. More recently, a thematic report on the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the digital era introduced principles applicable to those rights online, 12 which had previously been confined to discussions on freedom of expression and information. 20. Mandate holders have also articulated the responsibilities of business enterprises to ensure respect for the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in their activities and business relationships in several thematic reports. 13 For instance, the Special Rapporteur has called on digital technology companies and extractive industries to meet their responsibilities to respect internationally accepted human rights standards, including the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and to implement the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. 21. Certain thematic reports of the mandate holders provided a blueprint for legal and institutional reform. For instance, in a joint project with the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the mandate holder compiled key principles and practical recommendations for the proper management of assemblies. 14 Similarly, the Special Rapporteur issued practical recommendations and best practices aimed at supporting States in the implementation of their human rights obligations in order to ensure the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of the 2030 Agenda.15 As a result of this work, the Special Rapporteur also collected good practices that exemplify the application of these principles by domestic actors. 22. The influence of this work on standard-setting bodies, including regional and international human rights treaty bodies, is broadly recognized. For example, the Guidelines on Freedom of Association and Assembly in Africa of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights incorporate core principles developed by the Special Rapporteurs. Similarly, in developing the guidance contained in the recent report entitled “Protest and human rights”, the Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has drawn heavily on the standards put forth by the mandate holders.16 2. Mapping global challenges and trends on restrictions 23. A key area of work of the mandate holders has included the study of global trends affecting the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. When the mandate of the Special Rapporteur was established, the problem of closing space for civil society was not widely understood among the international community. This was especially true for most international and regional organizations, Governments and donors. Progress in this area is evident. The Special Rapporteurs joined efforts with civil society actors to draw attention to the pressures that civil society faces, develop a deeper understanding of the nature of the threats and challenges and their root causes, and identify opportunities and tools to address them. 24. In a report to the Council, the Special Rapporteur examined how Governments were increasingly imposing limitations in the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Drawing on seven years of communications and thematic reports, the report mapped the myriad of legal and extralegal measures being adopted around the world, including the adoption of national security, counter-terrorism and public order 11 12 13 14 15 16 Ibid., para. 8. A/HRC/41/41. See, for example, A/HRC/29/25 and A/71/385. A/HRC/31/66. A/HRC/41/41/Add.2. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Office of the Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression. Protest and Human Rights (2019). 7