@ Frontline Defenders
The Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council are independent human rights experts, appointed to monitor and report on human rights violations and to advise and assist in promoting and protecting rights.
ISHR works closely with a wide range of Special Procedures experts whose mandates are directly related to the creation of an enabling environment for the defence of rights – such as those focused on human rights defenders, freedom of opinion and expression and freedom of assembly and association – as well as with mandate holders whose work is seen by our human rights defender partners as critical at key moments in their own context.
ISHR also works to safeguard the independent and effective functioning of the Special Procedures mechanism as a whole, including by advocating for the appointment of highly qualified, independent experts; closely monitoring efforts to hamper these experts’ independence or limit their methods of work; and by working with human rights defenders and civil society groups to encourage States to implement the recommendations of Special Procedures.
In a statement at a panel on climate change and human rights, ISHR and the Institute for Political Economy Sri Lanka highlighted the ‘trap’ in which States could enter if not looking at climate financing with a human rights perspective.
At a Human Rights Council debate with the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, ISHR delivered a joint statement with Sudanese Women’s Rights Action and the Regional Coalition for Women Human Rights Defenders in South West Asia and North Africa.
As the Human Rights Council marks its 20th anniversary and the General Assembly reviews its institutional status, HRC62 will be an important test of the Council’s credibility, accessibility and ability to respond to human rights crises. This briefing highlights key opportunities for States and civil society to strengthen civil society participation, address reprisals, uphold the integrity of the Universal Periodic Review, advance climate justice, and ensure principled scrutiny of serious country situations, including those that States should raise during relevant debates. It also provides a practical overview of entry points for civil society engagement during the session.
ISHR introduces a new on-line course on advocacy for environmental human rights defenders, a practical, self-paced resource for activists, community leaders, and allies to defend the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment using UN and regional mechanisms.
Over 90 organisations call on the Syrian transitional government and Member States of the Human Rights Council to ensure that any decisions affecting the future of the Commission of Inquiry are firmly anchored in tangible improvements in the human rights situation in Syria.
On the third anniversary of the conflict in Sudan, NGOs urge the international community to act urgently to save lives in Sudan.
Explore the purpose and mandates of the Special Procedures and how you can work with them to strengthen your advocacy
Visit the ISHR Academy to find out more!
This is a compilation of publicly available information on how the liquidity crisis and budget cuts related to the UN80 Initiative are affecting the work of UN human rights mechanisms since 2024, including their ability to fulfil their mandates and deliver tangible improvements for individuals and communities.
ISHR is pleased to launch its updated guide to the UN Special Procedures, an essential tool for human rights defenders seeking to engage more strategically with these experts, for greater impact on the ground.
ISHR is pleased to launch a Special Procedures Explainer in five languages, an essential tool for human rights defenders seeking to engage more strategically with Special Procedures, for greater impact on the ground.
In a new report, ISHR analyses China’s tactics to restrict access for independent civil society actors in UN human rights bodies. The report provides an analysis of China’s membership of the UN Committee on NGOs, the growing presence of Chinese Government-Organised NGOs (GONGOs), and patterns of intimidation and reprisals by the Chinese government.
This briefing paper summarises the position of UN experts that RSDL constitutes enforced disappearance, arbitrary detention, and could amount to torture, and includes a repository of all UN documents referring to RSDL since August 2018.
On April 15 2024, ISHR submitted its annual submission to the UN Secretary General on intimidation and reprisals against defenders engaging or seeking to engage with the UN and its human rights mechanisms.
