About the mandate

The UN Human Rights Council established the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation during its 51st session on 7 October 2022, through resolution 51/25. In the establishing resolution, a broad range of human rights concerns were laid out including the diminishing human rights protection in the Russian Federation since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which commenced on 24 February 2022. The webcast of the Human Rights Council meeting that established the mandate can be found here. The meeting summary can be found here.

In its resolution 54/23 adopted on 12 October 2023, the Human Rights Council renewed for an additional year the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation. The same resolution requested the mandate holder to hold consultations with all stakeholders, including civil society inside and outside the Russian Federation, and to present a comprehensive report to the Council at its fifty-seventh session and to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session. The webcast of the Human Rights Council meeting on the renewal of the mandate can be found here. The meeting summary can be found here.

The Human Rights Council strongly urged the Russian authorities to comply with all Russia’s obligations under international human rights law and called upon the Russian authorities to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation. In the conduct of her work, the Special Rapporteur is mandated to:

• monitor the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, including undertaking in-situ visits to the country;
• collect, examine and assess human rights information from all stakeholders, including Russian civil society both inside and outside the country;
• make recommendations in relation to identified concerns to enhance the protection and observance of human rights;
• cooperate with relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms;
• report to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly;

The Special Rapporteur carries out her functions by:

• seeking dialogue with the relevant government authorities and a variety of stakeholders on questions relating to the mandate;
• undertaking country visits with the consent, or at the invitation, of the State, to meet with senior authorities and collect first-hand information on the human rights situation;
• organizing consultations and meeting relevant stakeholders, including civil society outside of their country;
• sending communications to the government, including urgent appeals and requests for corrective action;
• calling public attention to specific human rights violations;
• sharing expertise, including in the form of an amicus curiae brief or any other related advisory opinion, as may be relevant;
• participating in conferences, seminars and other events on the human rights situation in the country.

Resolutions