3. Your opportunities to engage

So you have decided that the Special Procedures are the right mechanism for you to support your work. Now what?

This Chapter gives you information on the opportunities that exist for civil society to engage with Special Procedure. It also offers some tools for you to engage effectively and strategically.

You can engage with the Special Procedures in several ways, and the method you choose will be dependent on the outcome you wish to achieve.

You can engage with the Special Procedures without coming to Geneva.

Civil society can engage with the Special Procedures in these ways:

• Communications – You can submit information to Special Procedures so that they send a communication to your government or other relevant stakeholders about a particular issue or case

  • ISHR Academy: Communications – Why are they useful?
  • ISHR Academy: Requesting a communication

• Statements and press releases – You can convince Special Procedures to make public statements to mark an event or highlight a particular issue or case to suit your advocacy needs

  • ISHR Academy: Statements and press releases – Why are they useful?
  • ISHR Academy: Pushing for statements and press releases

• Country visits – You can try to ensure that Special Procedures visit your country and make recommendations relevant to the issues you work on

  • ISHR Academy: Country visits – Why are they useful?
  • ISHR Academy: Obtaining a country visit

• Thematic reports – You can encourage the Special Procedures to use their thematic reports to include or focus on the issues you work on, and you can use their reports in your advocacy

  • ISHR Academy: Thematic reports – Why are they useful?
  • ISHR Academy: Influencing thematic reports

• Following up – You can work with the Special Procedures after they have acted to ensure ongoing attention to an issue and push for change on the ground

  • ISHR Academy: Following up with Special Procedures

Defender Story

Compensation to communities and victims of dam collapse: Brazil

In 2015, a dam collapsed in Brazil, affecting the lives of 3.2 million people through huge environmental damage. The compensation agreement provided by the government and private sector did not adequately address the needs of local communities and victims.

The victims and civil society engaged the Special Procedures, and in 2015 and 2016, various Special Procedures made country visits, reported (here and here) and issued statements (e.g. here and here) on the human right violations connected to the collapse.

Their actions are believed to have been a key factor in the decision of judicial authorities to annul the compensation agreement.

Reports:

• Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises on its mission to Brazil in December 2015
• Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples on her mission to Brazil in March 2016

Statements of Special Procedures:

• December 2015
• July 2016

In the next sections, you'll find information on why these opportunities might be useful to you, as well as tips on how to take advantage of them most effectively.