The specific tasks assigned to any Special Procedure vary according to the Human Rights Council resolution establishing the mandate. However, the tools or outputs that are available to the Special Procedures are the same.
The next sections focus on the main outputs of the Special Procedures which include:
This section explores one of the main outputs of the Special Procedures:
Communications are letters sent by the Special Procedures to governments to follow up on information they have received about allegations of violations of the rights covered by their mandates. Communications seek to bring such violations to an end, and to obtain redress for victims. In recent years, some Special Procedures have begun to send communications to non-State bodies, including corporations and inter-governmental actors.
There are three main kinds of communications available to the Special Procedures:
These are emergency tools to bring a halt to ongoing violations or prevent violations likely to occur. The Special Procedures aim to transmit such appeals very soon after having received information. Urgent appeals request clarification on the status of individuals or groups, as well as remind governments of their responsibilities towards those persons.
Examples:
Joint Urgent Appeal (22 November 2024) sent by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory. The communication concerned the urgent need for medical attention for journalist Fadi Al-Wahidi, who was severely injured in Gaza.
Joint Urgent Appeal (20 November 2024) sent by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders and five other mandates concerning the conditions of detention of human rights defender Mr. Xu Zhiyong, who was on a hunger strike.
These, by contrast, deal with human rights situations that have already occurred. They outline the relevant allegations and then request information from the government on those allegations, as well as on any measures taken to provide redress to victims. They may make suggestions as to actions the government should take following on from the incidents they describe. They can deal with cases involving violations against individuals or groups and can also address more general concerns about the human rights situation in a country.
Examples:
Allegation letter (27 September 2024) sent by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression to the Philippines regarding the killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and judicial harassment against human rights defenders. The Special Rapporteur refers to several individual cases of reprisals against human rights defenders.
Joint allegation letter (19 December 2024) sent by the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations and 11 other mandates of Special Procedures to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In their communication they addressed the human rights impacts of loans granted to developing countries.
These are a relatively new form of communication and are sent to register concern that an existing or proposed policy or piece of legislation has or will impact on the enjoyment of rights by certain members of the population. Unlike other communications, some of these are immediately made publicly available on the OHCHR webpage of the relevant Special Procedure.
Examples:
Defender story
In 2025, the 90-day freeze of all United States federal grants and loans, including foreign aid and stop-work orders, as well as the closure of over 80% of USAID programmes, resulted in suspended aid, services and programmes that provide a lifeline for millions of displaced persons across the world. Civil society mobilised around the world to denounce the consequences of such a cut including for human rights defenders and the multilateral system as a whole. In a groundbreaking communication sent by more than 30 Special Procedures, the USA government is asked to provide greater clarity and concrete information on such unilateral decisions, highlighting the harsh consequences for civil society, particularly those working on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Usually communications are based on information submitted to the Special Procedures by NGOs or victims.
All types of communication may be sent by an individual Special Procedure or jointly with others where the violations fall into multiple categories. For example, allegations of a human rights defender being detained arbitrarily for organising a protest could lead to a communication being sent jointly by the Special Procedures working on human rights defenders, on arbitrary detention, and on freedom of assembly. Special Procedure communications, and any government responses, are made available in a database on the OHCHR website and in a report presented to the HRC every session.
Go to the next sections to find out more about other tools and outputs of the Special Procedures, including: statements and press releases, country visits, thematic reports, and follow-up activities.
