United Nations
A/RES/68/167
General Assembly
Distr.: General
21 January 2014
Sixty-eighth session
Agenda item 69 (b)
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 18 December 2013
[on the report of the Third Committee (A/68/456/Add.2)]
68/167. The right to privacy in the digital age
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Reaffirming also the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1 and relevant international human rights
treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 2 and the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,2
Reaffirming further the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, 3
Noting that the rapid pace of technological development enables individuals all
over the world to use new information and communication technologies and at the
same time enhances the capacity of governments, companies and individuals to
undertake surveillance, interception and data collection, which may violate or abuse
human rights, in particular the right to privacy, as set out in article 12 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 17 of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights, and is therefore an issue of increasing concern,
Reaffirming the human right to privacy, according to which no one shall be
subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy, family, home
or correspondence, and the right to the protection of the law against such
interference, and recognizing that the exercise of the right to privacy is important
for the realization of the right to freedom of expression and to hold opinions without
interference, and is one of the foundations of a democratic society,
Stressing the importance of the full respect for the freedom to seek, receive
and impart information, including the fundamental importance of access to
information and democratic participation,
_______________
1
Resolution 217 A (III).
See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.
3
A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III.
2
13-44947 (E)
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