A/HRC/44/50 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 15/21, adopted 10 years ago, the Human Rights Council established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association to enhance the promotion and protection of these fundamental freedoms worldwide. With this historic decision, the Council recognized the need to support and protect civil society and all individuals seeking to enjoy their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association as part of its work to advance democracy and human rights. This decision reflected a universal understanding that democracy is only possible when people join together to express their political opinions, engage in literary and artistic pursuits and other cultural, economic and social activities, engage in religious observances or other beliefs, form and join trade unions and cooperatives, and elect leaders to represent their interests and hold them accountable. 2. Several years before the creation of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur, experts sounded the alarm at signs of an increasingly restrictive environment for civil society around the world. The list of States where civil society faced traditional forms of repression, such as imprisonment, disappearance and killings, was growing and alarming. In addition, many governments were adopting new, often subtle and sophisticated restrictions to the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. Increasing restrictions were arising not only in authoritarian countries, but also in democratic States. A joint campaign of non-governmental organizations called on Governments to ensure the protection of civil society and confront the unfolding crisis, including through the establishment of a United Nations mandate for the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. The movement found support in States from every region of the world, who were also starting to take note of the worrying trend. On 30 September 2010, the Human Rights Council adopted its resolution 15/21, creating the mandate. 3. Since 2010, the Council has extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur every three years, through its resolutions 24/5, 32/32 and 41/12. The first Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai (Kenya), took office on 1 May 2011 and served until 30 April 2017. Annalisa Ciampi (Italy) served as Special Rapporteur from 1 May to 30 November 2017. Clément Nyaletsossi Voule (Togo) is the current mandate holder, appointed in April 2018. 4. Over the last 10 years, the mandate holders have sought to advocate for an enabling environment for the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. To this end, they have focused on drawing the attention of the international community to the threats and challenges in the exercise of these rights and on helping broaden their normative framework and base of support among a variety of stakeholders. This is reflected in 12 country visits; 1 follow-up country visit; 7 thematic reports presented to the General Assembly and 9 to the Human Rights Council; 1,448 communications; and hundreds of public statements and countless meetings, seminars and consultations. All this work contributed, among other accomplishments, to elevating the discussion of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association within international human rights agendas. 5. The establishment of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 10 years ago came at a crucial time in human rights history. During the last decade, formidable achievements have been witnessed. There are countless examples where civil society and social movements across the world galvanized positive change in their communities, defended democratic values and developed innovative practices to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. The same decade, however, saw an increase in the number and complexity of threats to the enjoyment of the rights to freedoms of peaceful assembly and of association. Now our world is facing the most serious pandemic in a hundred years, threatening the health and lives of millions around the world. While this pandemic is a challenge of the highest order, certain government responses may exacerbate the constraints pressuring an already fragile civic space. 6. The tenth anniversary of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur marks an opportunity to reflect on what has been accomplished in the last decade. More importantly, however, it is an opportunity to look at the future and explore how holders of the mandate can increase their influence on the promotion and protection of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association over the next decade. The report provides an overview of the activities carried out by the Special Rapporteur between 1 April 2019 and 25 April 2020, and it contains an 3