Remarks by the High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Twenty-first Annual Meeting of Special Rapporteurs, Independent Experts and Chairpersons of Working Groups of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council

3 October 2014

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a real pleasure to address this 21st Annual Meeting of Special Procedures, and to have this opportunity to engage in a candid discussion with you at the outset of my mandate.

I see that many of you have also recently taken up your functions, which means we begin our journey together. Together with the veterans, who I'm sure have much to teach us, I look forward to four years of close and correlative work to achieve our shared human rights goals.

From the first Annual Meeting of Special Procedures in 1993, this event has grown with the increasing number of mandates, and it has taken on greater importance as the issues become more complex and inter-linked. With 54 mandates and 75 incumbents, the Special Procedures need to find ways to develop more coherence, complementarity and impact. I am glad to see that the agenda of this meeting includes such discussions.

One of the key attributes of the Special Procedures is their flexibility and ability to respond quickly to a broad range of issues. They bring significant “value-added” to the architecture for the protection and promotion of human rights. But this mechanism is one part of a bigger system, standing alongside the other pillars – the treaty bodies, Universal Periodic Review, and my own mandate. These mandates are independent, but I welcome - and will seek – opportunities to work together.

I see several areas where I hope we will deepen our collaboration.

Firstly, the development agenda, which must strive for full equality and embrace all human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political and social. A great opportunity is looming ahead of us in the form of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We must seek to influence the process together; I note that several Special Procedures, including the mandate on the right to water and sanitation, have played very active roles in the discussions on the SDGs.

As I believe you heard this week, my Office has carried out an assessment of the Outcome Document of the Open Working Group on the SDGs’ goals and targets. Clearly we have made progress in developing greater emphasis on the full range of rights, with a focus on inequalities, and all key groups particularly vulnerable to human rights violations and critical international reforms.

But we need more. We need more explicit language on human rights in the narrative preamble. We need explicit reference and alignment of the goals and targets to human rights standards, including on the right to water and sanitation; health; education; freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly; and sexual and reproductive rights. We needdisaggregated data to monitor inequalities and ensure that no-one is left behind. We need mechanisms to hold States to account for their commitments, at both the national and global levels, and to ensure that the private sector is also account.able

A second area for collaboration regards the inter-relationship between human rights and peace and security, and I would like to share a few perspectives including on your engagement with the Security Council. But around the world, multiple crises involve atrocity crimes and terrible human suffering. Many have been taken up by the Human Rights Council, which has mandated several Commissions of Inquiries and in the case of Sri Lanka, a follow-up OHCHR fact-finding mission. It has also convened numerous Special Sessions ­– this year alone, on Iraq, the Occupied Palestinian Territories including East Jerusalem, and the Central African Republic.

It is encouraging that the Special Procedures have regularly inputted into these Sessions. They have also highlighted the plight of people caught up in conflict. Recent examples that come to mind include the visits of the Special Rapporteurs on minority issues and on internally displaced persons to Ukraine.

But the Special Procedures can play a vital role in early warning, too. There are numerous examples of situations where terrible suffering could have been averted if the expert findings and recommendations of Special Procedures mandate-holders had been followed up with action. Sadly, even when the evidence is available and clear, action, including by the Security Council, is not forthcoming and suffering continues.

We must mobilise and join forces to change this. In many instances, it may be difficult to achieve direct engagement with the Security Council by Special Procedures mandate-holders, but there are many other avenues to transmit information, including through Arria formula meetings. I will continue to convey the message that it is important for the Security Council to hear from relevant Special Procedures.

I also want to raise the issue of possible collaboration between us on OHCHR's newest thematic priority, “widening the democratic space.” As I said in my first address to the Human Rights Council, the freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly are essential, and restricting them undermines progress. Yet we must constantly deplore infringements on these rights, including reprisals against individuals who engage in legitimate human rights work and cooperate with the United Nations human rights mechanisms. This theme which be the focus of an outreach campaign throughout 2015, and I would like to invite the Special Procedures to join in our efforts to acknowledge the value of civic contribution, build the capacity of marginalised voices, ensure a place at the table for civil society actors, and safeguard their activities.

Let me now conclude with a few housekeeping issues, as I am keen to hear from you. As you are aware, the Special Procedures system – and our Secretariat support to it – remain alarmingly under-funded through the UN’s regular budget. As an example, in 2014, the total allotment from the regular budget to the thematic mandates and Special Procedures Branch was 12.3 million US dollars. To bridge this insufficient funding, the Office has relied on voluntary contributions from Member States. In 2014, extra-budgetary requirements, or allotments, stood at 8.2 million dollars, bringing the total budget for these mandates to 20.5 million.

This budget is still insufficient. And although we appreciate the extra-budgetary funds that we receive, they are often earmarked and are not equitably received by all mandates. Many of the older mandates, and some recent ones like cultural rights, sale of children, and slavery were established without any funds for staff support. Other mandates, including international democratic order, peaceful assembly and truth were initially given funds for staff support, but later lost them due to cost cutting measures.

OHCHR is endeavouring to address these shortfalls. In all processes for mandate establishment and renewal, we systematically indicate the programme budget implications to the Member States, including with a view to recovering the staff support funds lost to budget cuts. During preparation of the 2016-17 regular budget, we will continue to advocate for greater regular budget funding for the Special Procedures, and for funds to address the chronic staffing shortfalls in the Special Procedures Branch. I encourage you to add your voices and as appropriate and in close coordination with my Office, to lobby the Member States with which you interact.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Despite our stark resource restrictions, OHCHR is committed to providing full support to all of the human rights mechanisms, so that the entire system is resourced and supported to operate with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. OHCHR staff members play a critical role in supporting the system of Special Procedures., And as I start my term, I would like to encourage you to continue to treat all staff with the respect they deserve. There have been a few – fortunately very few – instances of reported abuse or disrespect, and I do not view these lightly. I encourage you to liaise with the more senior staff who supervise your assistants in case of difficulties, and to keep in mind the many constraints that we all face.

Your service to the UN is vital and admirable. I am aware that you, like the staff, confront many frustrations in working with an Organization that is too often under-resourced and constrained by numerous rules and regulations. It is the price we pay for contributing to its unique and essential role, and I hope that we can all keep our tolerance, respect and a sense of humour.

I very much look forward to working with you.