A/HRC/20/27 right are able to operate freely without fear that they may be subjected to any threats, acts of intimidation or violence, including summary or arbitrary executions, enforced or involuntary disappearances, arbitrary arrest or detention, torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, a media smear campaign, travel ban or arbitrary dismissal, notably for unionists. One or several of such violations is/are found in, e.g., Belarus, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Israel, the Philippines, , Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic and Zimbabwe. 38 (b) Negative obligation 64. Furthermore, States have a negative obligation not to unduly obstruct the exercise of the right to freedom of association. Members of associations should be free to determine their statutes, structure and activities and make decisions without State interference (e.g. legislation in Bulgaria, Slovakia and Slovenia). Associations pursuing objectives and employing means in accordance with international human rights law should benefit from international legal protection. Associations should enjoy, inter alia, the rights to express opinion, disseminate information, engage with the public and advocate before Governments and international bodies for human rights, for the preservation and development of a minority‟s culture39 or for changes in law, including changes in the Constitution. 40 The Special Rapporteur recognizes that the formation of associations embracing minority or dissenting views or beliefs may sometimes lead to tensions, but he emphasizes the duty of the State to ensure that everyone can peacefully express their views without any fear. For instance, in Lesotho, the Registrar General registered the first ever lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender organization in the country called Matrix in November 2010 (after numerous delays). 65. Authorities must also respect the right of associations to privacy as stipulated in article 17 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In this connection, authorities should not be entitled to: condition any decisions and activities of the association; reverse the election of board members; condition the validity of board members‟ decisions on the presence of a Government representative at the board meeting or request that an internal decision be withdrawn; request associations to submit annual reports in advance; and enter an association‟s premises without advance notice. The Special Rapporteur recognizes the right of independent bodies to examine the associations‟ records as a mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability, but such a procedure should not be arbitrary and must respect the principle of non-discrimination and the right to privacy as it would otherwise put the independence of associations and the safety of their members at risk. As a best practice, the decision of the African Commission on Human and Peoples‟ Rights found that the right to freedom of association had been violated when the Government of Nigeria provided the Nigerian Bar Association with a new governing body and laid down that 97 of the 128 members constituting this body would be appointed by the Government (report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, A/64/226, para. 34). (c) Build and strengthen the human rights capacity of administrative officials 66. The Special Rapporteur notes with satisfaction that in Slovenia the Ministry of Interior is reportedly regularly supervising the work of its administrative units and checking the legality of how the registration procedures are conducted. During the supervision, officers in charge of the procedures are offered expert help and interpretation of the law. 38 39 40 16 See footnote 21. European Court of Human Rights, Ouranio Toxo and Others v. Greece, application No. 74989/01, 20 October 2005, para. 40. European Court of Human Rights, Zhechev v. Bulgaria, application No. 57045/00, 21 June 2007.