Freedom of expression on the internet is a human right, the UN has declared.

At the 20th regular session of the organisation's Human Rights Council (HRC), 22 resolutions were adopted on issues ranging from arbitrary detention to the current human rights situations in Belarus, Eritrea, Syria, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali and Somalia.

US ambassador Eileen Donahoe expressed her delight at the inclusion of internet access in the list of resolutions, describing the outcome as "momentous" for the HRC.

"It's the first ever UN resolution affirming that human rights in the digital realm must be protected and promoted to the same extent and with the same commitment as human rights in the physical world," she explained.

In this sense, it is now possible to say that human rights are the same in the online world as in the offline domain, Ms Donahoe claimed.

The ambassador pointed out that President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have both put a "great emphasis" on the need to combine internet freedom with human rights.

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11th July 2012

I am a bit shocked that USA is pressuring for internet freedom as a human rights but yet its passing laws and regulation to limited and allow gov to wire tape and have access to the private information with out court approval. this article shows only that how blind and that united nation is nothing but USA puppet.