The publication of the Toolkit follows a global Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for judicial actors on international standards on freedom of expression, developed in partnership with the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oxford, which gathered close to 5,000 registered participants from 150 countries around the world.

Through five comprehensive modules, the Toolkit focuses on:

1. The International Legal Framework on Freedom of Expression;
2. The Legitimate Restrictions on the Exercise of Freedom of Expression;
3. The Right to Access Information;
4. Attacks against Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Judiciary; and
5. Freedom of Expression on the Internet.

At the end of each module, assessments are proposed to test one’s knowledge and command of the topics under consideration. The Toolkit, which will soon be available in more languages, also includes additional resources specifically geared towards trainers of judicial training institutes, in order to further develop training courses on the right to freedom of expression, access to public information, and safety of journalists.

UNESCO has also produced two motion-design videos on: (1) the Three-Part Test; and (2) the Rabat Plan of Action on the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred, to illustrate some of the key legal tools to take decisions on potential legitimate limits to freedom of expression according to international standards, following suggestions from many of our courses participants who demanded easier ways to visualize these complex concepts.

More information

Link to Toolkit