Special Procedures: Explainer for human rights defenders
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.
Special Procedures are independent human rights experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. They are individual experts (Special Rapporteurs or Independent Experts) or groups of five experts (Working Groups), with similar tools to advance human rights. They monitor and report on human rights situations, focusing either on countries or themes.
The Special Procedures are one of the most accessible UN human rights tools for civil society and human rights defenders. They can take up cases from any country, they do not require a country to be party to a specific treaty or for you to exhaust domestic remedies first, and they can act quickly, even in emergencies.
If you are a human rights defender seeking to engage with the Special Procedures, read this carefully and share it with your peers!
Download the Explainer in English, Chinese, Cantonese, Uyghur and Tibetan.
For more information, check out ISHR’s updated Special Procedures Handbook for human rights defenders in three languages.
Watch our video, with subtitles in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, Arabic, Uyghur and Tibetan for an introduction to the UN Special Procedures.