speakers
The United Nations Human Rights Council, as part of the General Assembly, can call upon an impressive roster of independent experts who report on a broad range of human rights issues or on specific country situations. They include:
- Mr. Miloon KOTHARI (India), Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Ms. Leila ZERROUGUI (Algeria), Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
- Mr. Juan Miguel PETIT (Uruguay), Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography
- Mr. Vernor MUÑOZ VILLALOBOS (Costa Rica), Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Mr. Santiago CORCUERA CABEZUT (Mexico), Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
- Mr. Philip ALSTON (Australia), Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
- Mr. Arjun SENGUPTA (India), Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty
- Mr. Jean ZIEGLER (Switzerland), Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Mr. Ambeyi LIGABO (Kenya), Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Ms. Asma JAHANGIR (Pakistan), Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
- Mr. Paul HUNT (New Zealand), Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Ms. Hina JILANI (Pakistan), Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders
- Mr. Leandro DESPOUY (Argentina), Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
- Mr. Rodolfo STAVENHAGEN (Mexico), Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people
- Mr. Walter Kälin (Switzerland), Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Mr. José GÓMEZ DEL PRADO (Spain), Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination
- Mr. Jorge A. BUSTAMANTE (Mexico), Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants
- Ms. Gay MCDOUGALL (United States of America), Independent Expert on minority issues
- Mr. Doudou DIÈNE (Senegal), Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance
- Mr. Martin SCHEININ (Finland), Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism
- Mr. Manfred Nowak (Austria), Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Mr. Okechukwu IBEANU (Nigeria), 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
- Ms. Sigma HUDA (Bangladesh), Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children
- Mr. John Ruggie (United States of America), Special Representative of the SG on human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises
- Ms. Yakin ERTÜRK (Turkey), Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences
The United Nations also hosts expert panels that monitor how countries are living up their commitments under different human rights treaties. The panels, listed below, comprise of independent experts who can provide comment to media.
- Committee against Torture
- Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (including such rights as the rights to housing, education)
- Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Human Rights Committee (civil and political rights, such as freedom of speech and freedom of association)
- Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
- Committee on the Migrant Workers
For further information or to contact an individual expert or a representative of a treaty body, please contact the Media Unit, OHCHR Communications Section at:
Press-Info@ohchr.org
+41 22 917 9602
+41 22 917 9383