Les droits de communication : au-delà de la liberté d’expression

The report advocates for 'communication rights' as a broader necessity than just freedom of expression, emphasizing that access to information, digital literacy, and diverse media ownership are essential for human rights and sustainable development. It identifies systemic barriers including political censorship, the 'surveillance economy' dominated by tech giants, and gender and ethnic disparities in digital access. The text specifically highlights the role of indigenous communication rights in preserving cultural autonomy and utilizing traditional ecological knowledge to combat the climate crisis. It concludes by calling for the protection of independent public-interest journalism against the polarising effects of algorithms and the financial decline of traditional media.

• Freedom of expression is insufficient on its own and is best protected when paired with other communication rights, such as the right to participate in cultural life, access to science, education, and democratic access to media.
• Global communication is dominated by a small number of large conglomerates, which threatens information diversity and risks treating culture as a consumer product, thereby undermining indigenous knowledge and heritage.
• Digital access is not merely a matter of infrastructure; 'effective access' requires the integration of literacy, language, and education to allow individuals to produce content and participate in governance.
• The 'surveillance economy' and the dominance of English and colonial languages in technical design create an unequal landscape that limits the autonomy of citizens and marginalises cultural and linguistic minorities.
• Indigenous communication rights are central to cultural survival and sustainable development, as traditional ecological knowledge is a reliable source for climate change resilience and mitigation.
• The climate crisis disproportionately affects developing countries and small island states, necessitating a 'decarbonization' of economic growth that incorporates the voices and knowledge of the most vulnerable.
• Public-interest journalism is in chronic decline due to the shift of advertising revenue to online platforms and the rise of algorithms and 'clickbait,' which polarise public debate and erode trust.

APA

Lee, P. (n.d.). Les droits de communication : au-delà de la liberté d’expression. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/8-Trends-French.pdf

Chicago

Lee, Philip. Les droits de communication : au-delà de la liberté d’expression. World Association for Christian Communication, n.d. https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/8-Trends-French.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lee |first1=Philip |title=Les droits de communication : au-delà de la liberté d’expression |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |url=https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/8-Trends-French.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{leendles, author = {Lee, Philip}, title = {{Les droits de communication : au-delà de la liberté d’expression}}, institution = {World Association for Christian Communication}, url = {https://waccglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/8-Trends-French.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }