High Commissioner’s Designated Expert on Haiti

Purpose of the mandate

On 4 April 2023, the Human Rights Council adopted resolution 52/39, which requested the High Commissioner for Human Rights to appoint, for a renewable period of one year, a human rights designated expert on Haiti. On 4 April 2024, resolution 55/24 extended for a renewable period of one year, the mandate of the designated expert.

This Expert is tasked with undertaking, with the assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner and in collaboration with the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH):

• Monitoring the human rights situation in Haiti, ensuring, in particular, the inclusion of a gender perspective and of a special focus on the situation of children and of human trafficking in all of his work;
• Providing advice and technical assistance to the Government of Haiti, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, including women’s rights organizations, to assist in their efforts to ensure respect for and the promotion and protection of human rights;Participate twice a year, with the High Commissioner, and within the framework of an interactive dialogue, to the presentation of an interim report and a full report to the Human Rights Council.

About the mandate

In accordance with Human Rights Council resolutions 52/39, and 55/24 the human rights expert designated by the High Commissioner is tasked with monitoring, with the assistance of OHCHR and in collaboration with the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH ), the development of the human rights situation in Haiti, ensuring, in particular, the inclusion of a gender perspective and paying special attention to the situation of children and of human trafficking in all his work.

The designated expert is also mandated to provide advice and technical assistance to the Haitian Government, national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, including women’s rights organizations, to assist in their efforts to ensure respect for and the promotion and protection of human rights.

In addition, resolution 52/39 requested the High Commissioner to provide the Human Rights Council, twice a year, and within the framework of an interactive dialogue with the participation of the designated expert, with an interim report on the situation of human rights in Haiti.

Current mandate holder

On 12 April 2023, the High Commissioner designated Mr. William O’Neill (United States of America) as expert on human rights in Haiti.

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