UN body adopts resolution to protect individuals' universal privacy rights

The United Nations General Assembly's human rights committee has unanimously adopted a resolution to protect the right to privacy against unlawful surveillance.

The resolution was sponsored by Brazil and Germany and comes after months of reports about US eavesdropping abroad.

The resolution seeks to extend personal privacy rights to all people, and comes after revelations that US carried out unlawful surveillance on foreign leaders, including Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, stuff.co.nz reports.

Brazil's Ambassador Antonio de Aguiar Patriota said the resolution 'establishes for the first time that human rights should prevail irrespective of the medium, and therefore need to be protected online and offline'.

According to the report, the resolution expresses deep concern at 'the negative impact' such surveillance may have on the exercise and enjoyment of human rights'.

The consensus adoption of the resolution means it will also unanimously pass the whole 193-member General Assembly in December.

US delegate Elizabeth Cousens told the committee that the United States was pleased to support 'privacy rights and the right to freedom of expression'.

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