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Special Procedures

Introduction

Coordination Committee of Special Procedures

Nominations / Public List of Candidates for Special Procedures Mandates

Code of conduct

Contact

Mandates

Country mandates

Thematic mandates

List of all special procedures mandate holders

Activities

Communications
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Annual Reports

Reports to the General Assembly

Press Releases

Annual Meeting

Crosscutting themes

Enhancing the effectiveness of Special Procedures

Seminar on "Enhancing the effectiveness of special procedures of the CHR" 12-13 October 2005

Reform agenda

 

Links

Human Rights Council

Universal Human Rights Index

Commission on Human Rights

Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council

Round Table on Special Procedures, General Assembly side event, New York,
ECOSOC Chamber, 23 October, 1.15 p.m
- Background Paper


UN webcast archive

United Nations Special Procedures Facts and Figures 2008

New Special Procedures Bulletin - 14th issue, July-September 2009


Code of conduct
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish

"Special procedures" is the general name given to the mechanisms established by the Commission on Human Rights and assumed by the Human Rights Council to address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Currently, there are 31 thematic and 8 country mandates. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights provides these mechanisms with personnel, policy, research and logistical support for the discharge of their mandates.

Special procedures' mandates usually call on mandate holders to examine, monitor, advise and publicly report on human rights situations in specific countries or territories, known as country mandates, or on major phenomena of human rights violations worldwide, known as thematic mandates. Various activities are undertaken by special procedures, including responding to individual complaints, conducting studies, providing advice on technical cooperation at the country level, and engaging in general promotional activities.

Special procedures are either an individual (called "Special Rapporteur", "Special Representative of the Secretary-General" or "Independent Expert") or a working group usually composed of five members (one from each region) . The mandates of the special procedures are established and defined by the resolution creating them. Mandate-holders of the special procedures serve in their personal capacity, and do not receive salaries or any other financial compensation for their work. The independent status of the mandate-holders is crucial in order to be able to fulfill their functions in all impartiality. (See Fact sheet N.27 - under revision).

Most Special Procedures receive information on specific allegations of human rights violations and send urgent appeals or letters of allegation to governments asking for clarification.  In 2008, a total of 911 communications were sent to Governments in 118 countries. 66% of these were joint communications of two or more mandate holders.

Mandate holders also carry out country visits to investigate the situation of human rights at the national level. They typically send a letter to the Government requesting to visit the country, and, if the Government agrees, an invitation to visit is extended. Some countries have issued "standing invitations", which means that they are, in principle, prepared to receive a visit from any special procedures mandate holder. As of September 2009, 65 countries had extended standing invitations to the special procedures. After their visits, special procedures' mandate-holders issue a mission report containing their findings and recommendations.

Starting June 2006, the Human Rights Council engaged in an institution building process, which included a review of the special procedures system. On 18 June 2007, at the conclusion of its fifth session, the Human Rights Council adopted a Resolution 5/1 entitled "Institution-building of the United Nations Human Rights Council," which included provisions on the selection of mandate holders and the review of all special procedures mandates. The review was conducted throughout 2007 and 2008. All thematic mandates were extended. New thematic mandates have also been established, namely on contemporary forms of slavery (2007), on access to safe drinking water and sanitation (2008) and on cultural rights (2009). Country mandates have been extended with the exception of Belarus, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Liberia. At its 11th session, the Human Right Council created the mandate of independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan which replaced a previous country mandate, for a period of one year. The independent expert was appointed at the 12th session of the Human Rights Council. A mandate-holder’s tenure in a given function, whether it is a thematic or country mandate, will be no longer than six years (two terms of three years for thematic mandate-holders).

In June 2007, the Council also adopted Resolution 5/2, containing a Code of Conduct for special procedures mandate holders. At the Annual Meeting of special procedures in June 2008, special procedures mandate holders adopted their Manual, which provides guidelines on the working methods of special procedures. At the same meeting, they also adopted an Internal Advisory Procedure to review practices and working methods, by which the Code of Conduct and other relevant documents, including the Manual, are implemented to enhance the effectiveness and independence both of the special procedures system as a whole and of individual mandate-holders. At its 8th session, the Human Rights Council adopted a Presidential statement concerning the terms of special procedures mandate holders and their compliance with the Code of Conduct.

Statement by Special Procedures Coordination Committee on behalf of mandate holders on the occasion of the Human Rights Day (10 December 2009)

Internal Advisory Procedure to Review Practices and Working Methods (Adopted at the 15th Annual Meeting of Special Procedures)

English | Français | Español

 

Manual of the United Nations Human Rights Special Procedures

English
(Word 247 kb)
French (181 kb)
Spanish (Word 159 kb)

 
 
Joint Statement on behalf of Special Procedures mandate holders Durban Review Conference, Geneva, 20-24 April 2009
 
Statement by Ms. Manuela Carmena Castrillo, on behalf of all Special Procedures mandate holders (28 November 2008)
 
Statement by Mr. Miloon Kothari, Coordination Committee of Special Procedures at the sixth session of the Human Rights Council
(10 December 2007)
 
Statement by Special Procedures Coordination Committee Chairperson Ms. Gay McDougall
(22 June 2007)
 
A Note by the Special Procedures’ Coordination Committee in Response to Discussions on a Code of Conduct and Annex: Possible Elements of a Code of Conduct
 
Statement of Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn, Chairperson of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures / Human Rights Council second session (28 September 2006)
 

Statement of the annual meeting of Special Procedures’ mandate-holders on the occasion of the establishment of the Human Rights Council (23 June 2006)


Fact Sheet N.27 (Under Revision)
Seventeen Frequently Asked Questions about United Nations Special Rapporteurs
s
Arabic l Chinese l English l French l Russian l Spanish

Information Tools

New Compilation of SP recommendations by country-2008

Special Procedures Extranet access form

Special Procedures Bulletins

Thirteenth Issue (April-June 2009)
Twelfth Issue (January to March 2009)

Eleventh Issue (October to December 2008)
Tenth Issue (July to September 2008)
Ninth Issue (April to June 2008)
Eighth Issue (January to March 2008)
Seventh Issue (October - December 2007)
Sixth Issue (July - September 2007)
Fifth Issue (April - June 2007)
Fourth Issue (January - March 2007)

Third Issue (September - December 2006)
Second issue (May-August 2006)
First issue (January - April 2006)

Facts and Figures
Facts and Figures 2008
Facts and Figures 2007
Facts and Figures 2006
Facts and Figures 2005

Recommendations of Special Procedures by Country
Recommendations 2008
Recommendations 2007

Recommendations 2006
Recommendations 2005
Recommendations 2004
Compilation 2006 Annual reports

Communications

Press releases List All ....
Latest Press Releases

FIRST VISIT TO MEXICO BY THE UN EXPERT ON THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION
5 February 2010

[Spanish version]

UN EXPERT CALLS FOR URGENT CANCELLATION
OF HAITI'S REMAINING MULTILATERAL DEBT
4 February 2010

SEPARATED HAITIAN CHILDREN RISK BEING SOLD TRAFFICKED OR KEPT IN SLAVE-LIKE CONDITIONS -
UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS
2 February 2010

CHILD LABOUR IN ECUADOR, AN OBSTACLE
TO DEVELOPMENT - UN EXPERT ON
SLAVERY
2 February 2010

[Spanish version]

"EXTREMELY SERIOUS" - STRONG WARNING ON SECURITY,
HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
IN SOMALIA
28 January 2010

EXPERTOS DE NACIONES UNIDAS PUBLICAN ESTUDIO GLOBAL SOBRE DETENCIONES SECRETAS
RELACIONADAS A LA LUCHA CONTRA EL TERRORISMO
26 January 2010

UN EXPERTS ISSUE EXTENSIVE GLOBAL STUDY ON SECRET DETENTION LINKED TO COUNTER-TERRORISM
26 January 2010

UN EXPERT ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND COUNTER TERRORISM CONCLUDES VISIT TO TUNISIA
26 January 2010

ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL THREATENS FIGHT AGAINST HIV IN UGANDA, WARNS UN EXPERT ON HEALTH
22 January 2010

ESCLAVITUD: EXPERTA EN DERECHOS HUMANOS
DE LA ONU INICIA MISIÓN DE INVESTIGACIÓN
EN ECUADOR
22 January 2010

COUNTER-TERRORISM: UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERT TO VISIT TUNISIA
21 January 2010

[French version]

UN EXPERT ON ADEQUATE HOUSING WARNS ABOUT DIRE SITUATION OF NEW DELHI'S HOMELESS PERSONS
20 January 2010

COUNTER-TERRORISM: INTRUSIVE MEASURES IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM SHOULD BE OPPOSED,
SAYS UN EXPERT
19 January 2010

VISIT OF THE UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA (DPRK), PROFESSOR VITIT MUNTARBHORN, TO THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA (ROK): 10-16 JANUARY 2010
15 January 2010

UN INDEPENDENT EXPERTS URGE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR HAITI FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE
13 January 2010

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2005 Press Releases
 
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