Thematic mandates. For updated information see Human Rights Council

The Human Rights Council has replaced the Commission on Human Rights. See the section on the Human Rights Council for current information on Special Procedures. The Library section on the Commission will be retained as an archive, but no new documents will be added.
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Description: Introduction: "The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief is an independent expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. The mandate holder has been invited to identify existing and emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief and present recommendations on ways and means to overcome such obstacles. Historical background The United Nations Commission on Human Rights appointed further to resolution 1986/20 a ?Special Rapporteur on religious intolerance”. In 2000, the Commission on Human Rights decided to change the mandate title to ?Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief”, which was subsequently endorsed by ECOSOC decision 2000/261 and welcomed by General Assembly resolution 55/97. On 18 June 2010, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 14/11 which, inter alia, extended the mandate of the Special Rapporteur for a further period of three years...."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Introduction: "The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants was created in 1999 by the Commission on Human Rights, pursuant to resolution 1999/44. The mandate was extended for a further three years period by the Commission on Human Rights in 2005, at its 62nd session (Res. 2005/47). With the reform to the UN human rights machinery in 2006, the newly established Human Rights Council was called upon to assume, review and, where necessary, improve and rationalize all mandates, mechanisms, functions and responsibilities of the former Commission on Human Rights. As a result, the Human Rights Council, through resolution 8/10 of 18 June 2008, strengthened the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and further extended it for a period of three years....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Introduction: "In 1994, the Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 1994/41, noting both the increasing frequency of attacks on the independence of judges, lawyers and court officials and the link which exists between the weakening of safeguards for the judiciary and lawyers and the gravity and frequency of violations of human rights, decided to appoint, for a period of three years, a Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers. Like other Special Procedures, this mandate was assumed by the Human Rights Council (General Assembly resolution 60/251), and extended for one year, subject to the review to be undertaken by the Council (Human Rights Council decision 2006/102)....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Introduction: "A Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. This position is honorary and the expert is not United Nations staff nor paid for his/her work. The Special Rapporteurs are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Background to the mandate: "On 20 November 1989, the United Nations General Assembly in New York adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This international instrument recognizes "that in all countries in the world, there are children living in exceptionally difficult conditions, and that such children need special consideration". The Convention is now ratified by 193 States. In May 2000, the General Assembly adopted and opened for signature an Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; the Protocol, which has now been ratified by 126 states, entered into force in January 2002. By 1990, international awareness of the commercial sexual exploitation and the sale of children had grown to such a level that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights decided to appoint a Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography by resolution 1990/68, mandating the Special Rapporteur to investigate the exploitation of children around the world and to submit reports thereon to the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights, making recommendations for the protection of the rights of the children concerned. These recommendations are targeted primarily at Governments, United Nations bodies and non-governmental organizations....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Introduction: "The mandate on the situation of human rights defenders was established in 2000 by the Commission on Human Rights (as a Special Procedure) to support implementation of the 1998 Declaration on human rights defenders....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Introduction: "The United Nations Commission on Human Rights in resolution 1994/45, adopted on 4 March 1994 , decided to appoint a Special Rapporteur on violence against women, including its causes and consequences. The mandate was extended by the Commission on Human Rights in 2003, at its 59th session in resolution 2003/45....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: "Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context "..... The human right to adequate housing: "As defined by the first Special Rapporteur, ?the human right to adequate housing is the right of every woman, man, youth and child to gain and sustain a safe and secure home and community in which to live in peace and dignity?. This definition is in line with the core elements of the right to adequate housing as defined by General Comment No. 4 of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the body in charge of monitoring the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the States which are party to it). According to the Committee, while adequacy is determined in part by social, economic, cultural, climatic, ecological and other factors, it is nevertheless possible to identify certain aspects of the right that must be taken into account for this purpose in any particular context. They include the following: a) Legal security of tenure; b) Availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure; c) Affordability; d) Habitability; e) Accessibility; f) Location; and g) Cultural adequacy. For the definition of theses elements, please refer to General Comment No. 4. For more on the human right to adequate housing, please refer to International Standards. A Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. This position is honorary and the expert is not United Nations staff nor paid for his/her work. The Special Rapporteurs are part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. For more on Special Rapporteurs, please refer to Fact Sheet N? 27: Seventeen Frequently Asked Questions about United Nations Special Rapporteurs....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Introduction: "The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, in resolution 1985/33, decided to appoint an expert, a special rapporteur, to examine questions relevant to torture. The mandate was extemded for 3 years by Human Rights Council resolution 8/8 in June 2008. It covers all countries, irrespective of whether a State has ratified the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Description: Mandate: "By resolution 20 (XXXVI) of 29 February 1980, the Commission on Human Rights decided to "establish for a period of one year a working group consisting of five of its members, to serve as experts in their individual capacities, to examine questions relevant to enforced or involuntary disappearances of persons". Since then, the mandate and terms of reference of the Working Group were renewed by the Commission and approved by the Economic and Social Council each year. Since 1986 this has been done biennially and, since 1992, on a three-yearly basis. The last resolution renewing the mandate of the Working Group, A/HRC/7/12, was adopted by Human Rights Council in 2008. The Working Group?s basic mandate is to assist the relatives of disappeared persons to ascertain the fate and whereabouts of their disappeared family members. For this purpose the Group receives and examines reports of disappearances submitted by relatives of disappeared persons or human rights organizations acting on their behalf. After determining whether those reports comply with a number of criteria, the Working Group transmits individual cases to the Governments concerned, requesting them to carry out investigations and to inform the Working Group of the results. The Working Group deals with the numerous individual cases of human rights violations on a purely humanitarian basis, irrespective of whether the Government concerned has ratified any of the existing legal instruments which provide for an individual complaints procedure. It acts essentially as a channel of communication between the families of disappeared persons and Governments, and has successfully developed a dialogue with the majority of Governments concerned with the aim of solving cases of disappearance....."
Source/publisher: United Nations
Date of entry/update: 2011-01-05
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Francais, Espanol, Russian, Arabic, Chinese
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Individual Documents

Description: These reports have various dates, but are here dated April 2001 since they were submitted to the CHR (March-April 2001)
Source/publisher: United Nations
2001-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 33.63 KB
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Description: Extracts from the report of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1)of 11 December 2001. Opinion No. 38/2000 concerning U Pa Pa Lay; No. 12/2001 concerning Paw Oo Tun ("Min Ko Naing"); and No. 13/2001 concerning Aye Tha Aung, Cin Shing Thang, Do Htaung, Duwa Zaw Aung, Khun Myint Tun, Kyin Thein, Min Soe Lin, Saw Naing Naing, Saw Mra Aung, Saw Oo Rah and Toe Po. For original formatting etc. see the full report.
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1)
2001-12-11
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 25.55 KB
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Description: Commission on Human Rights. Fifty-eighth session
Creator/author: Mr. Jean Ziegler
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/58)
2002-01-10
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 3.47 KB
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Description: Commission on Human Rights Fifty-eighth session. [Extracts referring to Myanmar].
Creator/author: Ms. Asma Jahangir
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/74)
2002-01-09
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 9.7 KB
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Description: Commission on Human Rights. Fifty-eighth session Item 11 (e) of the provisional agenda Report submitted by Mr. Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, in accordance with Commission on Human Rights resolution 2000/33
Creator/author: Mr. Abdelfattah Amor
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/73)
2002-03-14
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 2.56 KB
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Description: Commission on Human Rights Fifty-eighth session.
Creator/author: Mr. Abid Hussain
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/75/Add.2)
2002-02-25
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 7.03 KB
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Description: Commission on Human Rights, Fifty-eighth session. Item 11 of the provisional agenda Report of the Special Rapporteur, Sir Nigel Rodley, submitted pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 2001/62
Creator/author: Sir Nigel Rodley
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/76/Add.1)
2002-03-14
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 24.54 KB
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Description: Commission on Human Rights. Fifty-eighth session Item 12 (a) of the provisional agenda Report of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences.
Creator/author: Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/83/Add.1)
2002-01-28
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : htm
Size: 8.4 KB
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Description: Contains 3 Opinions regarding Burma -- see the html document for extracts.
Source/publisher: United Nations (E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.1)
2001-12-11
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 277.9 KB
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