STATEMENT BY MARY ROBINSON, UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF SPECIAL RAPPORTEURS AND SIMILAR MECHANISMS OF THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

HR/97/88
16 December 1997


'We have just marked the beginning of Human Rights Year leading up to the commemoration on 10 December 1998 of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. An important focus of this year will be defending and protecting the achievements of the United Nations human rights programme.

A key mechanism developed by the United Nations over the years for the promotion and protection of human rights is the system of fact-finding through independent experts designated either as special rapporteurs or members of working groups. These experts are charged with carefully analysing allegations of human rights violations and Government information and informing the international community of their findings and making pertinent recommendations.

Over the years the crucial value of these procedures to saving human lives and helping resolve serious situations of violations has been fully acknowledged. The World Conference on Human Rights recognized the importance of these procedures and called for their preservation and strengthening. During the coming year, I will be giving special attention to this objective.

In order to provide the international community with the independent and impartially analysed information which is essential in human rights policy making, the experts of the special procedures system must be secure in enjoying the privileges and immunities due to them as experts on mission for the United Nations. Member States have agreed to this by ratifying the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations. The International Court of Justice reaffirmed these principles in its 1989 Advisory Opinion relating to a Member State's obligation under the Convention to ensure freedom of movement to a United Nations Special Rapporteur, Mr. Dumitru Mazilu.

The scrupulous respect for these rights by Member States is essential and I wish to call on all States to do so fully. The Secretary-General is now discussing with the Government of Malaysia application of the Convention in relation to Mr. Param Cumaraswamy, Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers. I wish to urge the Government to implement fully the provisions of the Convention as a key component of international law.?