Reference links for Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society

Reference links from the Chapter I: Introduction to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

• Mandate of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Resolution 48/141
• OHCHR standard-setting and monitoring work
• OHCHR fellowship and training programmes
• OHCHR publications and resource materials
• Funds and grants

Reference links from Chapter 2: OHCHR fellowship and training programmes

Fellowship Contact Details:

• The Indigenous Fellowship Programme
• The Minorities Fellowship Programme
• The Human Rights LDC Fellowship Programme
• The Fellowship for National Human Rights Institutions Staff

Where to submit an application

• Indigenous Fellowship Programme
• The Minorities Fellowship Programme
• Human Rights LDC Fellowship
• NHRIs Fellowship Programme

Reference links from Chapter 3: OHCHR publications and resource materials

• OHCHR fact sheets
• Special issue papers
• OHCHR training and educational materials
• Reference material
• Human rights basics
• OHCHR’s publications list
• United Nations sales publications
• Current information on OHCHR publications
• Ordering OHCHR publications
• The OHCHR library

Reference links from Chapter 4 Human rights treaty bodies

• The Human Rights Committee
• The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
• The Committee against Torture
• The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
• The Committee on the Rights of the Child
• The Committee on Migrant Workers
• The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Factsheet No. 10 (Rev. 1) The Rights of the Child
• Factsheet No.12 The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Factsheet No. 15 (Rev. 1) Civil and Political Rights The Human Rights Committee
• Factsheet No. 16 (Rev. 1) The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Factsheet No. 17 The Committee Against Torture
• Factsheet No. 22 Discrimination against Women The Convention and the Committee
• Factsheet No. 24 (Rev. 1) The International Convention on Migrant Workers and its Committee
• Factsheet No. 30 The United Nations Human Rights Treaty System An introduction to the core human rights treaties and the treaty bodies
• Factsheet No. 7 (Rev. 1) Complaint Procedures
• Upcoming human rights treaty body sessions
• Individual complaints
• Inquiries
• Early warning and urgent action procedures
• General comments and general recommendations
• Days of Discussion http//www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/Pages/HumanRightsBodies.aspx
• The annual meeting of chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies and inter-committee meetings
• The ratification status of human rights treaties and optional protocols

Submitting a written report

• Human Rights Committee (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
• The Committee against Torture and Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• General link to the human rights treaty bodies section

Guidelines for oral submissions at human rights treaty body sessions and pre-sessional working groups

• Human Rights Committee (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
• The Committee against Torture (the general guidelines for NGO participation)
• Committee on the Rights of the Child (the general guidelines for NGO participation)

Individual Complaints

• Human Rights Committee
• Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
• Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
• Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
• The Committee against Torture
• Committee on the Rights of the Child
• Committee on Migrant Workers
• Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Reference links from Chapter 5 Human Rights Council

• The Human Rights Council
• Current Human Rights Council member states
• The universal periodic review
• The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
• The Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure
• The Webcast service
• The special procedures
• The open-ended Working Group on the Right to Development
• The high-level task force on the implementation of the right to development
• The Social Forum
• The Forum on Minority Issues
• The Expert mechanism on the rights of indigenous peoples
• The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
• The Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
• The group of independent eminent experts on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action
• The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
• The Ad Hoc Committee on the elaboration of complementary standards
• The Preparatory Committee for the Durban Review Conference and the open-ended intergovernmental working group
• Consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
• General Information Note for NGOs
• Subscribing to the Human Rights Council extranet
• Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations
• Nominating Candidates for the Expert Mechanism

Reference links from Chapter 6 Special procedures

• Contacting special procedures mandate-holders
• The special procedures
• Country mandates
• Thematic mandates
• Human Rights Council
• Current list of upcoming vacancies of mandates and how to nominate candidates
• Consultative Group’s and President’s Lists of Candidates
• The annual meeting of special procedures
• The Coordination Committee of special procedures
• The Code of Conduct for Special Procedures Mandate-holders
• Manual of the special procedures
• Communications
• Country and field visits
• Standing invitations
• Special procedures reports to the Human Rights Council
• Press releases, statements and other messages issued by the special procedures
• Standard questionnaires for specific mandates
• Submitting individual cases/complaints
• Current list of special procedure mechanisms

Reference links from Chapter 7 Universal periodic review

• The universal periodic review
• The order of states to be reviewed during the first cycle (2008-2011)
• Sessions of the Working Group on the UPR, including information notes for NGOs
• Information note for NGOs
• Consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
• Submission of stakeholder information
• How to be accredited to attend sessions of the Working Group on the UPR
• Accreditation to sessions of the Human Rights
• Subscribing to the Human Rights Council extranet
• The Webcast service

Reference links from Chapter 8 Submitting a complaint on an alleged human rights violation

• Complaints under the human rights treaties
• Communications under the special procedures
• The Human Rights Council’s complaint procedure
• The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee
• Information on human rights treaty bodies
• Information on special procedures
• Information on complaint procedure under Human Rights Council

Standard questionnaires for reporting alleged violations

• Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
• Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
• Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination
• Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
• Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
• Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants - Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
• Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
• Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
• Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
• Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders

Reference links from Chapter 9 Funds and grants

• The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture
• The Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Populations
• The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
• The “Assisting Communities Together” (ACT) Project
• The United Nations Democracy Fund
• The United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability
• How to submit an application to the Fund
• More information on the Expert mechanism
• To learn more about OHCHR work on indigenous people
• Where to submit an application for the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
• UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery brochure
• How to contact the ACT Project
• For the ACT brochure
• How to apply to UNDEF
• How to apply to the UN Voluntary Fund on Disability