The right to assemble peacefully, together with freedom of expression and freedom of association, rests at the core of any functioning democratic system.
Freedom of peaceful assembly is a fundamental human right that can be enjoyed and exercised by individuals and groups, unregistered associations, legal entities and corporate bodies.
Facilitating participation in peaceful assemblies helps ensure that all people in a society have the opportunity to express opinions they hold in common with others. As such, freedom of peaceful assembly facilitates dialogue within civil society and among civil society, political leaders and government.
Freedom of association encompasses the ability of groups of individuals to organize collectively and to mobilize in protest against the state and/or other interests.
Restrictions on the right to freedom of association that might undermine freedom of assembly include requiring formal registration before an association can lawfully assemble, prohibiting the activities of unregistered groups, prescribing the scope of an association’s mandate, rejecting registration applications, disbanding or prohibiting an association, or imposing onerous financial preconditions.
Like freedom of peaceful assembly, the right to associate is essential to the effective functioning of democracy and civil society, and such restrictions to the freedom of peaceful association can, therefore, rarely be justified.
Learn more about the right to assemble peacefully, freedom of expression and freedom of association at OSCE.org.
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