WUNRN
Special
Procedures are either an individual (called "Special Rapporteur",
"Special Representative of the Secretary-General",
"Representative of the Secretary-General" or "Independent
Expert") or a working group...
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List
of country visits
by Special Procedures
Countries A-E
Countries F-M
Countries N-Z
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Mandate
holders carry out country visits to investigate the situation of
human rights at the national level. Mandate holders typically send a letter to
the Government requesting to visit the country, and, if the Government agrees,
an invitation to visit is extended. Some countries have issued "standing invitations", which means that
they are, in principle, prepared to receive a visit from any special procedures
mandate holder.
During such
missions, the experts assess the general human rights situation in a given
country, as well as the specific institutional, legal, judicial, administrative
and de facto situation
under their respective mandates. During the country visit the experts will meet
with national and local authorities, including members of the judiciary and
parliamentarians; members of the national human rights institution, if
applicable; non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and
victims of human rights violations; the UN and other inter-governmental
agencies; and the press when giving a press-conference at the end of the
mission. After their visits, special procedures' mandate-holders issue a
mission report to the Human Rights Council including their findings and
recommendations.
Terms
of Reference for Fact-finding missions by Special Procedures
The terms of
reference for country visits were adopted at the fourth annual meeting of the
special rapporteurs (E/CN.4/1998/45) and are intended to guide Governments in
the conduct of the visit. During fact-finding missions, special rapporteurs of
the Commission on Human Rights, as well as United Nations staff accompanying
them, should be given the following guarantees and facilities by the Government
that invited them to visit its country:
(a) Freedom
of movement in the whole country, including facilitation of transport, in particular
to restricted areas;
(b) Freedom
of inquiry, in particular as regards:
(i) Access to all prisons, detention centres and places of interrogation;
(ii) Contacts with central and local authorities of all branches of government;
(iii) Contacts with representatives of non-governmental organizations, other private institutions and the media;
(iv) Confidential and unsupervised contact with witnesses and other private persons, including persons deprived of their liberty, considered necessary to fulfil the mandate of the special rapporteur; and
(v) Full access to all documentary material relevant to the mandate;
(c)
Assurance by the Government that persons, whether officials or private
individuals, who have been in contact with the special rapporteur/representative
in relation to the mandate, will not, as a result, suffer threats, harassment
or punishment or be subjected to judicial proceedings;
(d)
Appropriate security arrangements without, however, restricting the freedom of
movement and inquiry referred to above;
(e)
Extension of the same guarantees and facilities mentioned above to the
appropriate United Nations staff who will assist the special rapporteur before,
during and after the visit.
- Links to
country visit reports to the Council (and previously to the Commission) can be
accessed on the Country visit table.
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