This article examines the ‘Joint Declarations on freedom of expression’ from a critical perspective. Since 1999, these Joint Declarations have been adopted annually by the four intergovernmental mechanisms on freedom of expression with the assistance of two non-governmental organisations. This article identifies the factors which contribute to the Joint Declarations’ value, with a specific focus on the collaborative process leading up to their adoption, their progressive content and their demonstrated influence upon courts and other actors. It also acknowledges the limitations of the texts, including their non-binding nature as soft law, their limited impact and lack of visibility. Notwithstanding these issues, this article contends that the Joint Declarations constitute a distinct and potentially influential body of international soft law on freedom of expression, one whose relevance to policy debates deserves broader recognition.

中文翻译：

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言论自由联合声明的意义

本文从批判的角度审视了“言论自由联合宣言”。自 1999 年以来，四个政府间言论自由机制在两个非政府组织的协助下，每年都通过这些联合声明。本文确定了促成联合声明价值的因素，特别关注导致其通过的合作过程、其渐进的内容以及它们对法院和其他参与者的影响。它还承认文本的局限性，包括它们作为软法的非约束性、影响有限和缺乏知名度。尽管存在这些问题，