ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the development of the rights to freedom of assembly and association at international and regional levels. It considers the limitations placed on these rights by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and different regional instruments. The chapter analyses how these rights relate to freedom of expression as well as other rights within the third column of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights concerned with spiritual, public and political freedoms. It explores how they have been viewed in terms of group and individual rights. The chapter examines how the limitations and restrictions of these rights have been navigated, especially when they appear to clash with threats to life and liberty. It also explores how these rights have become increasingly relevant in the twenty-first century, particularly in respect of conflicts between different groups, between groups and individuals and between different rights.
