The Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council: A Brief Look from the Inside and Perspectives from Outside

Special Procedures is the collective name given to the different mandates of Independent Experts, Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups in the field of human rights appointed by the UN Human Rights Council (and formerly by the now-defunct Commission on Human Rights) with the purpose of developing international human rights standards, receiving communications, visiting States, and generally advancing international human rights law and practice. They have been considered the “crown jewel” of the United Nations, for they symbolise a beacon of hope for victims of human rights abuses worldwide.

This edited volume seeks to contribute to the dissemination of the work undertaken by different mandate-holders for the protection of human rights. The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and six acting UN human rights experts from different mandates (some of whom have now moved to other positions within the UN human rights machinery) contribute brilliant and deeply interesting chapters to shed light on different aspects of their work. By sharing their own reflections, experiences and expectations, they provide an insider’s view of the work undertaken by their mandates to promote the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights in all corners of the globe. Additionally, this book includes contributions from leading human rights law practitioners at the local level, who share their thoughts on the interaction and influence of international human rights law in the domestic sphere.

The collected essays contributed to this book by Navi Pillay, Olivier De Schutter, Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Catarina de Albuquerque, John H. Knox, Michael K. Addo, Olivier de Frouville, Catalina Rivera Díaz and Minerva Martínez Garza, accompanied by a superb foreword written by Emmanuel Decaux, provide a thoughtful and inspiring glimpse into the inner workings of the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and the titanic task of protecting globally the fundamental human rights and freedoms of peoples.