Human Rights Council
Introduction to Special Procedures

Special procedures has been the term used to describe the system of independent experts and special rapporteurs who are appointed to do human rights investigations on the ground. It is made up of independent individuals selected on the basis of objectivity and their expertise in a particular human rights area.

Since the HRC is largely made up if government representatives, it is a very political body, and the independence of the Special Procedures system is largely what gives the Council its credibility.

It is the responsibility of Special Procedures experts, rapporteurs, and working groups (the various names given to these human rights detectives) to collect information on their appointed human rights issue (i.e. mandate) to prepare a report for review by the Council. Special Procedures mandate holders do this by doing research and fact-finding using a variety of techniques, including country visits, interviews, receiving communications from and having consultations with HR defenders worldwide.

Based on the information gathered on their mandate. Special procedures mandate holders prepare reports, which are then posted on the Office of the High Commissioner’s website, and then brought up for discussion with the “international community” during the HRC session.

One of the ways for NGOs such as WILPF to be active in the Council is to be in touch with the Special rapporteurs, independent experts, and working groups mandated to investigate human rights topics that WILPF works on. As mandate holders are not paid for this work, but do it on the side, in addition to research, teaching at universities, working at NGOs, many of them are very receptive to collaborating with NGOs and strongly rely on NGO expertise on human rights topics to conduct their investigations.



For more information about Special Procedures, click here

If you wish to work collaboratively with a mandate holder, contact information can be found here

Page last updated 12 October 2007