UN Special Procedures are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to monitor, investigate, and report on human rights situations worldwide. They work either on thematic issues (such as the environment, human rights defenders, housing, or business and human rights) or on specific country situations. Special Procedures are the 'eyes and ears' of the Human Rights Council.
These experts hold mandates either as individuals (Special Rapporteurs or Independent Experts) or as part of a group (Working Groups). None of these experts are UN staff and, therefore, they must act independently of governments and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
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Source: ISHR
Starting from scratch? Browse through our dedicated module on Special Procedures here.
First of all, it’s important to spend some time choosing and knowing mandate holders and their scope of work, to see with whom it’s best to establish relationships. Let’s start with those who expressly have a mandate on environmental matters:
The Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (or the Special Rapporteur on the right to a healthy environment)
Astrid Puentes Riaño tells you about her mandate
The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change (or the Special Rapporteur on climate change)
Elisa Morgera tells you about her mandate
There are other mandates that play a crucial role in protecting the environment, and you can work with many of them, even some that you wouldn't think have that scope! Also remember that some are less frequently contacted by civil society because of a lack of awareness of their role and existence. Check the table for a recap - the topics are not exhaustive but indicative and many themes are cross-cutting.
Other more ‘general’ mandates work also with EHRDs, and dedicate reports on them or their thematics, in particular the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders (example with the 2025 report focusing on climate defenders). Don’t forget to include them in your mapping!
To see the full list of all mandates and see if some can intersect with your advocacy, access the thematic mandate database here. You can also reach out to country-specific Special Procedures, if relevant. See the full list here.
Mandate holders are supported by one or several staff working at the OHCHR, based in Geneva most of the time. We advise that you establish contact with them as they closely work with EHRDs and are willing to collaborate and provide advice. Before you contact them, make sure you have clear targets and objectives and make sure your request is aligned with their mandate. You can reach them through the generic email address available on each mandate page, but be aware that they receive a lot of emails and requests everyday
Example: A Special Rapporteur can join an online briefing and provide short training on how they can collaborate with civil society for a network of EHRDs of a specific country.
Communications are letters sent by the Special Procedures to governments, businesses and other actors to follow up on information they have received about allegations of human rights violations and abuses within the scope of their mandates. Communications seek to prevent human rights violations, to bring violations to an end, and to obtain redress for victims. You can either send a communication about:
Any EHRD or group can submit information through the OHCHR official channel - step-by-step guidance and additional tips on communications are available here. You can have a look at previous communications to have an idea on the type of information that is required and the answers that governments and other actors have given to these letters.
Note: If your risks or the environmental abuses you are denouncing are linked to corporate operations, the Working Group on Business and Human Rights can request information, clarification, and action directly from businesses and investors as part of its mandate. They can also apply the extraterritoriality principle (see Section 1.9) to address concerns related to transnational corporations. They can communicate directly with the companies' home States to ensure compliance with their obligations to regulate corporate activity. (See also Section 3.3 - Aarhus Convention and the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders for more information)
After a communication is sent, Special Procedures could also make a press release. This would help make the situation more public and draw media attention. Special Procedures could also issue press releases in other situations when there is urgency or to highlight that a State is acting in a positive way but further action is needed.
Example: Special Procedures commend Norway's decision to postpone deep-sea mining licensing and urge the government to take into account local communities' needs.
Special Procedures can undertake official country visits. In each country visit, Special Procedures meet with different State and non-State actors, including civil society organisations. Before the visit, there is a call for inputs where defenders can submit information and suggest visiting areas highly affected by environmental harm so they can understand the situation and make recommendations relevant to your work. After the visit, the experts release an end-of-visit statement with some preliminary findings and months later a country visit report that is presented during the Human Rights Council sessions. You can check if there is an upcoming visit in your country or the status of some of those invitations and requests in the country visits portal.
Special Procedures can also conduct academic visits or informal visits. There are no official reports linked to these visits, but they can help to position some themes or to have informal conversations with relevant stakeholders.
Example: The Special Rapporteur on housing shed light on forced evictions affecting Indigenous communities in Guatemala, through intense consultation with civil society.
Every year, Special Procedures prepare analysis or thematic reports on specific human rights issues related to their mandate. While these reports might be too technical in some cases, they can be used in different ways with an advocacy objective:
Example: The Working Group on the rights of peasants examines the central role of peasants and rural workers in global food systems and highlights the importance of their meaningful participation in decision-making processes.
Important: Subscribe to the OHCHR newsletter to be informed on the country visits and other critical information regarding Special Procedures mandates!
More detailed information can be found on our dedicated module on Special Procedures (Chapter 3 : how to engage).
Bernado Caal Xol, an Indigenous environmental human rights defender from Guatemala, faced criminalisation and imprisonment for defending the rights of his community to protect their water sources from hydroelectric projects. His case drew international attention due to the severe pressure and legal harassment he experienced, including prolonged detention under harsh conditions.
ISHR, alongside Guatemalan and international civil society partners, engaged with UN Special Procedures, submitting detailed information on the threats Bernado faced and the broader context of criminalisation of environmental defenders in Guatemala. In joint statements and communications, Special Procedures publicly called for an end to his arbitrary detention, urged Guatemala to ensure fair due process, and raised the alarm about his deteriorating health in prison. Their involvement played a crucial role by amplifying pressure on the authorities, raising global awareness, and providing more legitimacy to calls for justice. The criminalisation of Bernardo Caal Xol continues, but he is now released from detention.
Your turn! Work on a scenario to put in practice what you’ve learnt!
Now, we’re moving on to a particular mechanism of the Human Rights Council: the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
