UN special rapporteur Khan arrives in the Philippines

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the UN rapporteur is the third to formally visit the country during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Alongside consultations with human rights groups and civil society, Khan will be meeting with officials from several agencies such as the DFA, the Department of Justice and the Presidential Task Force on Media Security.

The UN special rapporteur will be visiting Metro Manila, Baguio City and Cebu City from January 23 to February 2.

Khan’s report from the 10-day series of discussions will be presented during the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in June 2025.

She was appointed to the role of UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in 2020.

The DFA earlier said that Khan’s visit will give the Philippines an opportunity to demonstrate its “flourishing democracy …  as seen in the vibrant media landscape and civic space.”

Khan will also see the government’s “respect to the promotion and protection of freedom of speech and expression,” the DFA said.

Human rights group Karapatan said on Sunday that even as the government has publicly welcomed the visit of the UN rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, it has also “disregarded, shrugged off, and rejected” previous findings by UN special rapporteurs on the country’s human rights situation.