The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is soliciting input on pending reports, feedback on its management plan, and nominations for newly-created special procedures from civil society in April and May.
Candidates for Special Rapporteurs for Mali and Haiti
OHCHR seeks the proposal of independent experts for nomination to one year Special Rapporteur mandates reporting on the human rights situations in Haiti and Mail. At its recent 22nd session, the Human Rights Council established the Mali mandate in response to widespread violations in Mali, including “violence against women and children, summary and extrajudicial executions, hostage-taking, pillaging, destruction of cultural and religious sites and recruitment of child soldiers.” The Council also acted on a request by Haitian government to create a one-year special mandate holder to evaluate and report on the human rights situation in Haiti, with a focus on “technical assistance and capacity-building.” The expert will work with the international community and civil society in Haiti in helping the government implement the recommendations from the recent Universal Periodic Review.
Individuals interested in serving in either the Haiti or Mali mandates should complete the online application by April 25, 2013. For more information on these positions, see the Call for Applications.
Consultation on OHCHR Management Plan for 2014-2017
As part of the process to finalize the OHCHR Management Plan for 2014-2017, the OHCHR has requested feedback on identifying the areas where OHCHR has “made a difference in the lives of people through the advancement of human rights,” as well as “priority areas for OHCHR over the next four years.” Individuals interested in contributing to the OHCHR Management Plan should submit their comments and input by April 30, 2013. Submissions must be no longer than 500 words and should be sent to [email protected].
Report by Special Rapporteur on Racism and Related Intolerance
In March 2013 the General Assembly called for a report by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance to be presented to the General Assembly in September 2013. The report will address the rise in violence related to racism and provide recommendations for steps that States and the international community can take to reduce this violence. Individuals or civil society organizations should submit their comments by May 24, 2013 by email to [email protected]; by post to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Office at Geneva, CH-1211, Geneva 10; or fax at +41 22 917 90 06.
Special Rapporteur Report on Unpaid Work, Poverty and Women’s Human Rights
The Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights will report to the General Assembly in October 2013. This report will evaluate the impact of unpaid work on poverty and human rights, “clarify the human rights obligations of States with regard to unpaid work,” and recommend how States and other entities can “recognize, reduce and redistribute unpaid care work, with a view to realizing the human rights of women and tackling their disproportionate vulnerability to poverty.” In preparing the report, the Special Rapporteur has requested and will review civil society submissions that focus on how “unpaid work impacts … the human rights of women, as well as their vulnerability to poverty.”
Organizations and individuals should include specific information and recommendations about relevant programs to address these issues before the deadline of May 31, 2013. Submission should be sent in a Microsoft Word document, PDF or compatible format to [email protected].