The main premise of this paper is that freedom of expression (and other human rights) possesses a contingent universality. The element of contingency lies in the dependence of such human rights norms upon two different sets of facets and processes. These are, first, the dynamic of internal domestic affairs, and, second, the dynamic of external or international affairs. Moreover, these two dynamics carry on a perpetual interaction in which each influences and is influenced by the other. National standards and practice are the bases of international standards and the necessary context of their implementation. Yet national standards and practices are in turn affected by international responses to the poor articulation or persistent violation of human rights at the local level.