A/HRC/44/50 30. The work of the mandate holder also provided impetus to the Human Rights Committee’s current efforts to develop a general comment on article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Special Rapporteur consistently advocated for the development of a general comment on article 21 as an important means of assisting the work of the mandate and contributing to the protection of the right of everyone to peaceful assembly.28 The Special Rapporteur commends the openness with which the Committee has conducted this initiative, inviting a broad range of stakeholders to provide their comments and inputs. He hopes that once adopted, the general comment will strengthen international protection of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and serve as guidance to States on how to fully comply with their international obligations in this area. 4. Broadening the base of support and engagement 31. During the first decade, the mandate holders recognized the need to increase public opinion in favour of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Through hundreds of press releases, issued individually or jointly with other special procedure mandate holders, they sought to amplify the voice of people on the ground and motivate others to help promote and protect human rights. The mandate holders also participated in countless public engagement activities, including during working or academic visits aimed at raising public awareness at the country or local level. To maximize reach, the mandate holders introduced user-friendly formats and innovative ways to disseminate reports and documents. 32. The mandate holders also sought to raise awareness among and engage with new allies capable of effecting change and reversing the trend of closing civic space, including with the: (a) Financial Action Task Force – an intergovernmental body that sets standards to combat money-laundering and terrorist financing – to improve its cooperation with civil society;29 (b) World Economic Forum, to raise awareness of the imbalance between how States treat businesses and how they treat civil society; (c) Digital technology companies in Silicon Valley, to advocate for their commitment to address adverse impacts of their products, services and policies on assembly and association rights. 33. To further those efforts, the mandate holders tried to demonstrate that supporting the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association ultimately served many purposes, including advancing development objectives, moving societies towards freedom and equality, and achieving and upholding peace. This was not to suggest that positive effects of assembly and association rights were a prerequisite for State implementation of enabling policies and practices. International law is very clear. States must respect and protect these freedoms. Yet in making the “pragmatic case” for the rights to freedom of assembly and of association, the mandate holders sought to counter the increasing negative narratives against civil society. In a 2017 thematic report, 30 and in a corresponding media campaign, the mandate holder celebrated the value of civil society throughout history and across cultures. The theme was also explored more recently in reports examining the role of civil society in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.31 In those reports, the Special Rapporteur called upon development actors to recognize their shared interest in advocating for and protecting assembly and association rights. 5. Supporting domestic implementation and reform 34. Throughout the first decade of the mandate, the mandate holders routinely sought to effect change at the domestic level. Whether through legal and policy reform or through a positive outcome for specific individuals, the Special Rapporteur sought to ensure that 28 29 30 31 See, e.g., A/HRC/20/27 and A/HRC/41/41. Communication OTH 14/2016, dated 23 February 2016, available at spcommreports.ohchr.org/ TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=20588. A/HRC/35/28. A/73/279, A/HRC/41/41/Add.2 and A/74/349. 9