It’s time we all recognise the human right to a healthy environment

by Professor John H. Knox, former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment Blog BORRAR, By invitation, By invitation BORRAR, Climate, Contemporary and emerging human rights issues BORRAR, EHRD BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Special Procedures, Thematic human rights issues

Note: This article is based on a Joint Statement by UN Environment and the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment ahead of World Environment Day.   Speaking ahead of World Environment Day on 5 June, the head of UN Environment, Mr Erik Solheim, and the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Mr John Knox, issued a …

Towards a stronger connection between human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: The role of the Human Rights Council

by Dr. Maria Smirnova, The University of Manchester Blog BORRAR, By invitation, By invitation BORRAR, HRC BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Special Procedures

On 23 March 2018, the Human Rights Council concluded its 37th regular session , during which it addressed a wide range of human rights issues and heard 95 reports of human rights experts addressing 35 thematic and 50 country-specific situations. Among the 42 adopted resolutions , the Council adopted two complementary texts aimed at mainstreaming human rights in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable …

What are the human rights priorities of world governments in 2018?

by the URG team Blog BORRAR, Corruption and human rights, EHRD BORRAR, HRC BORRAR, Human rights implementation and impact, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Implementation BORRAR, Prevention, Prevention, accountability and justice BORRAR, Special Procedures, Thematic human rights issues, Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review

An independent analysis of the High Level Segment of the Human Rights Council  At the opening of the 37th session of the Human Rights Council, nearly one hundred world leaders (e.g. presidents, prime ministers, ministers) delivered high level speeches commenting on the state of global human rights in 2018, and presenting their country’s priorities for the year ahead. The Universal Rights …

The Catalytic Role of Thematic Special Procedures on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

by Mariana Montoya Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Prensa BORRAR, Special Procedures, Uncategorized BORRAR

On 18th and 19th November, the Universal Rights Group (URG GVA & URG LAC) and the Institute for the Study of Human Rights of Columbia University (ISHR) hosted a two-day expert consultation at Columbia University. The meeting convened former Special Procedures mandate-holders on economic, social, and cultural rights; as well as key stakeholders of these mandates, including civil society representatives, …

Reflections on the Human Rights Council: the Way Forward

by H.E. Ambassador WU Hailong, Permanent Representative of China to the UN Office at Geneva and the URG team Blog BORRAR, Glion Human Rights Dialogues, HRC BORRAR, Human Rights Council BORRAR, Human rights implementation and impact, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Human rights institutions and mechanisms BORRAR, Implementation BORRAR, Special Procedures

In October 2013, before taking office as the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Office in Geneva, I led the Chinese delegation that participated in our second cycle review under the Universal Periodical Review (UPR). The review took place, of course, in Room 20 of the Palais des Nations, and I was deeply impressed by the colourful ceiling designed by the …

Human Rights Council appoints seven new Special Procedures Mandate-Holders

by the URG team Blog BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Human rights institutions and mechanisms BORRAR, Special Procedures

The Council today moved to appoint seven new Special Procedures mandate-holders, including for the new mandate of Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities (created in June 2014). These mandate-holders should have been appointed in September, during the 27th session, but the Council decided (as already happened earlier in 2014 with another batch of new mandate-holders) to postpone their …

History of the United Nations Special Procedures Mechanism

by the URG team Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Policy reports

History of the United Nations Special Procedures Mechanism

​The United Nations’ independent human rights experts – otherwise known as ‘Special Procedures’ – are considered by many to be, in the words of then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the ‘crown jewel’ of the international human rights system. From their first appearance in 1967, when the United Nations Commission on Human Rights established an Ad Hoc Working Group to inquire into the …

Health of the Special Procedure system moves to the centre of the Council’s agenda

by the URG team Blog BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Human rights institutions and mechanisms BORRAR, Special Procedures

For the first time since the Council’s five-year review in 2011, the 26th session of the Human Rights Council that ended on 27th June saw the health and impact of the Special Procedures mechanism move to the centre of the political stage. States could not resist continuing to add new Special Procedure mandates – the 26th session saw members create a 51st active …

Special Procedures mandate-holders: the new intake

by the URG team Blog BORRAR, Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Human rights institutions and mechanisms BORRAR, Special Procedures

After weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations, the member states of the Human Rights Council yesterday moved to appoint 17 new Special Procedure mandate-holders. This was a critical moment for the Special Procedure mechanism, the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the international human rights system, because the mechanism’s effectiveness is heavily reliant on the quality, expertise and reputation of those individuals who …

As number of Special Rapporteur mandates passes the 50 mark, new study highlights need for renewed support and reform

by the URG team Human rights institutions and mechanisms, Prensa BORRAR, Special Procedures

Wednesday 19th March 2014, Geneva The United Nations’ (UN) independent human rights experts – otherwise known as ‘Special Procedures’ – are considered by many to be, in the words of then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the ‘crown jewel’ of the international human rights system. From their first appearance in 1967 when the Commission on Human Rights established an Ad Hoc …