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Two decades after the call for the establishment of World Press Freedom Day, the arrival of the digital revolution has made it possible to engage the High Commissioner for Human Rights this year at the annual International Human Rights day, which commemorates the 63 years of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with the importance of the Internet and social media platforms as the main topic, and its role in promoting human rights, freedom of expression and democratic governments. This dissertation will examine the role of Internet and the various digital communications platforms in reshaping today s state politics and policies in both democracies and dictatorships and in protecting of human rights and the right of freedom of expression and opinion. The first chapter analyzes the evolution of the propaganda model in a new technological environment and how the birth of the Internet formed a new challenge to it. Moreover, various case-studies will show how the Internet can be both an instrument for peace or a weapon of war. The second chapter is a specific national case-study of the freedom of expression in People s Republic of China. It analyzes the mechanisms the government exercise to undermine the freedom of expression. Furthermore it underlines China s domestic and international obligations in protecting, promoting and respecting the rights to freedom of express

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Elizabeth Fleckenstein, German born in Jerusalem has completed her Journalism studies in Rome in 2008. She obtained her Master in Human Rights and Conflict Management in 2012, and works currently with Caritas International in Germany. Elizabeth speaks fluent German, Arabic, English, Italian, Spanish and knows French and Hebrew.

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