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UN’S
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEURS
The
UN’s
Special
rapporteurs:
who
are
they,
what
are
they
doing,
what
is
their
link
to
the
right
to
health?
In
this
document,
you
will
find
all
information
about
them!
INTRODUCTION
There
are
in
the
UN
some
mechanisms
to
take
care
either
of
a
country’s
specific
issue
or
of
thematic
issues
in
every
part
of
the
world.
Among
those
mechanisms,
called
«
special
procedures
»,
we
find
the
Special
rapporteurs.
Special
rapporteurs
are
in
charge
of
holding
inquiries
into
violations
and
to
intervene
on
specific
issues
or
urgent
situations.
They
therefore
play
an
important
role
in
the
protection
of
human
rights.
They
are
independent,
sit
individually
and
cannot
be
appointed
more
than
six
years.
Their
mission
is
to
study
and
draft
a
report
on
a
country’s
situation
about
a
human
right
issue.
For
that
purpose,
special
rapporteurs
visit
countries.
They
can
decide
to
visit
a
State
for
themselves
or
further
to
specific
allegations
about
human
rights
violations
related
to
their
mandates.
Special
rapporteurs
use
a
wide
variety
of
information’s
sources.
They
conduct
part
of
their
research
in
concerned
countries,
discuss
with
authorities
and
victims
and
collect
proofs
on
the
ground.
After
their
visit,
the
holder
of
special
procedures’
mandates
presents
a
mission
report
with
his/her
conclusions
and
recommendations.
Some
Special
rapporteurs
are
in
charge
of
receiving
information
from
different
sources:
governments,
intergovernmental
organisations,
non-‐governmental
organisations,
victims
of
human
rights
violations
and
witnesses.
When
they
receive
reliable
information
on
a
human
rights’
violation
related
to
their
mandate,
they
can
discuss
directly
with
the
governments
concerned.
Don’t
hesitate
to
contact
the
concerned
Special
rapporteur
if
you
consider
that
a
human
rights’
violation
took
place,
exists
or
might
occur!
In
appendix,
you
will
find:
-‐ The
list
of
Special
rapporteurs
intervening
directly
with
governments
-‐ Your
means
of
action
to
denunciate
a
fundamental
rights’
violation
For
more
information
about
special
procedures,
mandates,
please
visit
on
the
website
of
the
High
Commissioner
for
Human
Rights
The
existence
of
those
Special
rapporteurs
is
a
fundamental
element
for
the
defence
of
human
rights.
A
lot
of
them
are
related,
directly
or
indirectly,
to
the
health.
THE
RIGHT
TO
HEALTH,
IN
BRIEF
The
right
to
health
is
actually
«
the
right
to
the
enjoyment
of
the
highest
attainable
standard
of
physical
and
mental
health
».
This
right
was
first
articulated
in
the
1946
Constitution
of
the
WHO.
But
it
is
still
difficult
to
know
exactly
what
it
covers.
A
larger
definition
has
been
given
by
the
UN
Committee
on
economic,
social
and
cultural
rights,
interpreting
the
right
to
health
as
“an
inclusive
right
extending
not
only
to
timely
and
appropriate
health
care
but
also
to
the
underlying
determinants
of
health,
such
as
access
to
safe
and
potable
water
and
adequate
sanitation,
an
adequate
supply
of
safe
food,
nutrition
and
housing,
healthy
occupational
and
environmental
conditions,
and
access
to
health-
related
education
and
information,
including
on
sexual
and
reproductive
health.
A
further
important
aspect
is
the
participation
of
the
population
in
all
health-related
decision-making
at
the
community,
national
and
international
levels.”
The
right
to
health
is
composed
of
several
rights
which,
when
they
are
associated
to
the
others,
permit
to
attain
the
best
possible
health.
As
an
example,
rights
to
food,
to
safe
drinking
water
but
also
to
education,
which
is
a
social
determinant
playing
an
important
role
for
the
health
of
people.
Example:
how
the
right
to
education
impacts
the
right
to
health?
The
lack
of
education
doesn’t
permit
to
every
person
to
know
the
appropriate
reactions
to
have
in
order
to
have
appropriate
health
habits.
With
education,
people
will
become
aware
of
their
means
of
action
on
their
health.
More
information
about
the
right
to
health:
The
Right
to
Health,
Factsheet
n
31,
WHO
Steps
for
Change,
IFHHRO
General
comments
from
the
Committee
on
economic,
social
and
cultural
rights
1
-
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR
ON
THE
RIGHT
OF
EVERYONE
TO
THE
ENJOYMENT
OF
THE
HIGHEST
ATTAINABLE
STANDARD
OF
PHYSICAL
AND
MENTAL
HEALTH
Mr
Anand
Grove
is
the
Special
rapporteur
on
the
right
of
everyone
to
the
enjoyment
of
the
highest
attainable
standard
of
physical
and
mental
health.
Prerogatives
of
the
Special
rapporteur:
-‐ Control
of
the
right
to
health’s
situation
around
the
world;
-‐ States’
visits
&
report
on
national
situation
in
terms
of
right
to
health;
-‐ Communication
with
States
and
other
concerned
parties
with
regard
to
alleged
cases
of
violations
of
the
right
to
health;
-‐ Promotion
of
the
right
to
health;
-‐ Annual
reports.
More
information
on
the
Special
rapporteur
on
the
right
of
everyone
to
the
enjoyment
of
the
highest
attainable
standard
of
physical
and
mental
health:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Health/Pages/SRRightHealthIndex.aspx
2
-
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR
ON
THE
RIGHT
TO
EDUCATION
The
UN
Committee
on
economic,
social
and
cultural
rights,
in
the
General
comment
No.
13,
defines
the
education:
«
education
is
both
a
human
right
in
itself
and
an
indispensable
means
of
realizing
other
human
rights.
»
It
is
important
to
understand
that
education
permits
to
ensure
all
fundamental
rights.
Education
is
also
essential
to
attain
the
best
health
possible.
Mr
Kishore
SINGH
is
the
Special
rapporteur
on
the
right
to
education
since
2010.
More
information
on
the
SpecialrRapporteur
on
the
right
to
education:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Education/SREducation/Pages/SREducationInd
ex.aspx
3
-
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR
ON
THE
RIGHT
TO
FOOD
Mr
Olivier
DE
SCHUTTER
is
the
Special
rapporteur
on
the
right
to
food
since
2008.
For
the
Special
rapporteur,
the
right
to
food
is
the
right
to
have
regular,
permanent
and
unrestricted
access,
either
directly
or
by
means
of
financial
purchases,
to
quantitatively
and
qualitatively
adequate
and
sufficient
food
corresponding
to
the
cultural
traditions
of
the
people
to
which
the
consumer
belongs,
and
which
ensure
a
physical
and
mental,
individual
and
collective,
fulfilling
and
dignified
life
free
of
fear.
With
this
definition,
we
understand
that
the
right
to
food
plays
a
fundamental
role
in
the
right
to
health;
who
could
attain
the
best
physical
and
mental
health
possible
without
food?
To
ensure
the
right
to
health,
the
right
to
food
has
to
be
ensured.
More
information
on
the
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
right
to
food:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Food/Pages/FoodIndex.aspx
4
-
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR
ON
EXTREME
POVERTY
AND
HUMAN
RIGHTS
People
who
are
living
in
extreme
poverty
cannot
enjoy
their
fundamental
rights,
as
the
right
to
food,
the
right
to
housing
and
the
right
to
the
enjoyment
of
the
highest
attainable
standard
of
physical
and
mental
health.
People
who
are
in
this
situation
do
not
have
means
to
see
a
doctor
and
cannot
prevent
diseases.
Their
right
to
health
is
not
ensured.
Ms.
Magdalena
SEPULVEDA
CARMONA
is
the
Special
rapporteur
on
extreme
poverty
and
human
rights
since
2008.
Her
mission
is
to
identify
approaches
for
removing
all
obstacles
to
the
full
enjoyment
of
human
rights
for
people
living
in
extreme
poverty.
She
makes
recommendations
on
how
persons
living
in
extreme
poverty
can
participate
in
the
definition
of
measures
affecting
them.
The
Special
rapporteur
studies
the
impact
of
discrimination
on
this
situation
and
participates
in
the
assessment
of
the
implementation
of
Millennium
Development
Goals.
More
information
on
the
Special
rapporteur
on
extreme
poverty
and
human
rights:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Poverty/Pages/SRExtremePovertyIndex.aspx
5
-
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR
ON
THE
HUMAN
RIGHT
TO
SAFE
DRINKING
WATER
AND
SANITATION
The
access
to
drinking
water
and
sanitation
is
essential
to
live
in
dignity
and
ensure
human
rights.
But
there
are
still
billions
of
people
who
cannot
enjoy
this
right.
Therefore
those
persons
can’t
enjoy
the
best
health
possible.
That
is
why
it
is
important
to
promote
access
to
drinking
water
and
sanitation
all
around
the
world.
Ms.
Catarina
DE
ALBUQUERQUE
is
the
Special
rapporteur
on
the
human
right
to
safe
drinking
water
and
sanitation
since
2008.
She
has
several
missions:
-‐ Establish
a
dialogue
with
all
concerned
parties
in
order
to
check
out,
promote
and
exchanges
opinions
on
best
practises
related
to
the
access
to
drinking
water
and
sanitation
then
draft
a
compendium
on
best
practises
-‐ Draft
a
study
in
collaboration
with
concerned
parties
in
order
to
define
more
precisely
the
obligations
related
to
human
right,
including
the
non
discrimination’s
obligation,
which
affect
the
access
to
drinking
water
and
sanitation
-‐ Make
recommendations
helping
the
assessment
of
the
implementation
of
Millennium
Development
Goals.
More
information
on
the
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
human
right
to
safe
drinking
water
and
sanitation:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/WaterAndSanitation/SRWater/Pages/SRWater
Index.aspx
6
-
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR
ON
TORTURE
AND
OTHER
CRUEL,
INHUMAN
OR
DEGRADING
TREATMENT
OR
PUNISHMENT
The
WMA
is
fully
committed
in
the
fight
against
torture
and
in
its
prevention.
Torture
is
a
grave
violation
of
the
human
body
and
infringes
the
right
to
health.
The
Special
rapporteur,
by
visiting
countries
and
publishing
reports,
give
us
some
useful
information.
His
mission
concurs
with
the
mission
of
the
Subcommittee
on
prevention
of
torture
and
national
preventive
mechanisms.
Mr
Juan
MENDEZ
is
the
Special
rapporteur
on
torture
and
other
cruel,
inhuman
or
degrading
treatment
or
punishment
since
2010.
His
mandate
comprises
three
main
activities:
-‐
Transmitting
urgent
appeals
to
States
with
regard
to
individuals
reported
to
be
at
risk
of
torture,
as
well
as
communications
on
past-‐alleged
cases
of
torture;
-‐
Undertaking
fact-‐finding
country
visits;
and
-‐
Submitting
annual
reports
on
activities,
the
mandate
and
methods
of
work
to
the
Human
Rights
Council
and
the
General
Assembly.
More
information
on
the
Special
rapporteur
on
torture
and
other
cruel,
inhuman
or
degrading
treatment
or
punishment:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Torture/SRTorture/Pages/SRTortureIndex.aspx
7
–
THE
OTHER
SPECIAL
RAPPORTEURS
There
are
also
Special
rapporteurs
on
contemporary
forms
of
slavery,
on
adequate
housing
as
a
component
of
the
right
to
an
adequate
standard
of
living
and
on
the
right
to
non-‐discrimination
in
this
context,
on
the
implications
for
human
rights
of
the
environmentally
sound
management
and
disposal
of
hazardous
substances
and
wastes,
on
violence
against
women…
It
is
important
that
physicians
keep
an
eye
on
published
reports
and
act
to
enforce
the
recommendations
made
by
the
Rapporteurs.
APPENDIX
Appendix
1
–
List
of
thematic
special
procedures
sending
urgent
appeals
and
letters
of
allegation1:
•
Working
Group
on
enforced
or
involuntary
disappearances
•
Working
Group
on
arbitrary
detention
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
extrajudicial,
summary
or
arbitrary
executions
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
torture
and
other
cruel,
inhuman
or
degrading
treatment
or
punishment
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
right
to
freedom
of
religion
or
belief
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
sale
of
children,
child
prostitution
and
child
pornography
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
promotion
and
protection
of
the
right
to
freedom
of
opinion
and
expression
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
contemporary
forms
of
racism,
racial
discrimination,
xenophobia
and
related
intolerance
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
independence
of
judges
and
lawyers
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
violence
against
women,
its
causes
and
consequences
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
situation
of
human
rights
of
migrants
•
Special
Representative
of
the
Secretary-‐General
on
the
situation
of
human
rights
defenders
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
right
to
adequate
housing
as
a
component
of
the
right
to
an
adequate
standard
of
living
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
right
to
education
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
right
to
food
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
adverse
effects
of
the
illicit
movement
and
dumping
of
toxic
and
dangerous
products
and
wastes
on
the
enjoyment
of
human
rights
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
right
of
everyone
to
the
enjoyment
of
the
highest
attainable
standard
of
physical
and
mental
health
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
trafficking
in
persons,
especially
in
women
and
children
•
Special
Rapporteur
on
the
situation
of
human
rights
and
fundamental
freedoms
of
indigenous
peoples
1
In
bold,
special
rapporteurs
related
to
the
health
Appendix
2
–
Your
means
of
action
to
denonciate
the
violation
of
a
fundamental
right
Denunciate
the
violation
of
a
fundamental
right!
To
submit
a
complain,
the
following
minimum
information
must
be
provided:
-‐
Identification
of
the
person(s)
or
organization(s)
submitting
the
communication;
-‐
The
full
name
of
the
alleged
victim(s),
their
age,
sex,
and
place
of
residence
or
origin;
-‐
Identification
of
as
many
details
as
possible
(name,
age,
sex,
place
of
residence
or
origin)
in
cases
involving
a
group
or
community;
-‐
Date
and
place
of
incident
(approximate,
if
exact
date
is
not
known);
-‐
A
detailed
description
of
the
circumstances
of
the
incident
in
which
the
alleged
violation
occurred;
-‐
Identification
of
the
alleged
perpetrator(s),
name(s)
if
known
and/or
title/function,
and
suspected
motive;
-‐
Where
relevant,
specify
if
steps
have
been
taken
at
the
national
level
(e.g.
have
police
been
contacted,
are
other
national
authorities
involved,
the
position
-‐
if
any
-‐
of
the
Government);
– Where
relevant,
specify
if
steps
have
been
taken
at
the
international
level
(e.g.
if
other
international
mechanisms
have
been
activated).
To
send
your
complains:
Fax-‐>
+
41
22
917
90
06
E-‐mail
-‐>
urgent-‐action@ohchr.org
Postal
mail
-‐>
Quick
Response
Desk
Office
of
the
High
Commissioner
for
Human
Rights
United
Nations
Office
at
Geneva
8-‐14
avenue
de
la
Paix
1211
Geneva
10
Switzerland
More
information
on
this
website:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Communications.aspx