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The Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council involve various independent human rights experts who monitor and report on human rights issues globally, including the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. These experts gather information, engage with various stakeholders, and report their findings to the UN Human Rights Council, aiming to highlight concerns and recommend improvements. The mechanisms are intended to address both specific incidents and systemic issues affecting human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory. The work done under these mandates is crucial in providing the international community with detailed insights and ongoing assessments of the human rights landscape in the OPT.
Francesca Albanese attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on 27 March 2024 (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP)
The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to follow and report on the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The task of the Special Rapporteur is to assess the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, report publicly about it, and work with governments, civil society and others to foster international cooperation. The Special Rapporteur undertakes regular visits or missions to the Occupied Palestinian Territory and reports annually to the Human Rights Council. OHCHR provides the mandate holder with logistical and technical assistance.
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur derives from the 1993 resolution from the Committee of Human Rights. The mandate calls on the Special Rapporteur:
- To investigate Israel’s violations of the principles and bases of international law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967;
- To receive communications, to hear witnesses, and to use such modalities of procedure as he may deem necessary for his mandate; and
- To report, with his conclusions and recommendations, to the Commission on Human Rights at its future sessions, until the end of the Israeli occupation of those territories.
Current Mandate holder is Francesca Albanese. She is an Affiliate Scholar at the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University, and a Senior Advisor on Migration and Forced Displacement for the think tank Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), where she co-founded the Global Network on the Question of Palestine (GNQP), a coalition of renowned professional and scholars engaged in/on Israel/Palestine. She has published widely on the legal situation in Israel/Palestine; her latest book, Palestinian Refugees in International Law (Oxford University Press, 2020), offers a comprehensive legal analysis of the situation of Palestinian refugees from its origins to modern-day reality. She regularly teaches and lectures on International Law and Forced Displacement in European and Arab universities, and speaks frequently at conferences and public events on the legal situation of Palestine. She worked for a decade as a human rights expert for the United Nations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees. In these capacities, she advised the UN, governments, and civil society across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Asia Pacific, on the enforcement of human rights norms, especially for vulnerable groups including refugees and migrants. She holds a Law Degree (with honors) from the University of Pisa and an LLM in Human Rights from the University of London, SOAS.
Former mandate holders
Mr. S. Michael Lynk
(Canada) 2016-2022
Mr. Makarim WIBISONO
(Indonesia), 2014 – 2016
Mr. Richard FALK
(United States of America), 2008-2014
Mr. John DUGARD
(South Africa), 2001-2008
Mr. Giorgio GIACOMELLI
(Italy), 1999-2001
Mr. Hannu HALINEN
(Finland), 1995-1999
Mr. René FELBER
(Switzerland), 1993-1995
Reports:
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- Genocide as colonial erasure – Report of Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 – 1 October 2024
- Anatomy of a Genocide – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 to Human Rights Council – Advance unedited version (A/HRC/55/73), 2024
Press Releases:
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- ‘ICC arrest warrants can help save lives, must be respected and complied with’: UN human rights experts – 26 November 2024
- UN human rights experts call for urgent medical evacuation of critically injured journalist from Gaza – 25 November 2024
- The long human tragedy of the Nakba and Israel’s settler colonial genocide – UN Special Rapporteur Albanese – Press conference – 31 October 2024
- A tragedy within a tragedy: UN experts alarmed by harrowing conditions for Palestinians with disabilities trapped in Gaza – 25 October 2024
- States must adhere to obligations under Genocide Convention to prevent further loss of life in Gaza, says Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese in latest report – Press Release 24 March 2024
- Occupied Palestinian territory: With every new day of impunity more innocent lives are lost, warn UN experts – 7 April 2025
Other documents:
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- Chair Summary of the UN Palestinian Rights Committee Briefing: “International legal responsibilities for preventing genocide, holding perpetrators of war crimes accountable, and for ending the unlawful occupation of Palestine” – 31 October 2024
- ‘Atrocities by One Side Do Not Justify Those by the Other,’ Commission of Inquiry Chair Tells Third Committee, Implicating Israeli Forces, Palestinian Armed Groups in War Crimes – GA 3rd Committee Press release 30 October 2024
Navi Pillay (centre), Chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, briefs reporters at UN Headquarters. With her are members of the Commission, Miloon Kothari (right) and Chris Sidoti (left). UN Photo/Mark Garten, 2022
On 27 May 2021, the Human Rights Council held a special session on “the Grave Human Rights Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem” and adopted the resolution “Ensuring respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel”.
Through its resolution, the Human Rights Council decided to “urgently establish an ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and abuses of international human rights law leading up and since 13 April 2021”. The resolution further requested the commission of inquiry to “investigate all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity”. The commission of inquiry is mandated to report to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly on an annual basis.
In March 2024, the Human Rights Council passed two resolutions, in which it requested the Commission of Inquiry to present reports to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-ninth session in June 2025 on (i) settlers and settler groups involved in acts of terror, violence or intimidation against Palestinian civilians and the actions taken by Israel and third States to ensure accountability for violations of international law (A/HRC/RES/55/32); and (ii) the transfer or sale of arms, munitions, parts, components and dual use items to Israel (including those used during the Israeli military operation in Gaza since 7 October 2023) and analyse legal consequences of these transfers, including those related to State responsibility (A/HRC/RES/55/28).
Below are the case-related documents:
Reports:
- Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in OPT – Position Paper of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel – September 2023
- Israel’s systematic use of sexual, reproductive and other forms of gender-based violence since 7 October 2023 – issued on 13 March 2025
Press releases:
- UN Commission of Inquiry welcomes International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion stating that Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is now illegal under international law – 22 July 2024
- Human Rights Council Concludes Interactive Dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory – 19 June 2024
- Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory Concludes that Israeli Authorities and Hamas Are Both Responsible for War Crimes – 19 June 2024
- Israeli authorities, Palestinian armed groups are responsible for war crimes, other grave violations of international law, UN Inquiry finds – 12 June 2024
- General Assembly’s Third Committee – Summary record of the 35th meeting, 24 October 2023 (Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel)
- Commission of Inquiry is Collecting Evidence of War Crimes Committed by all Sides in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories since 7 October 2023 – 10 October 2023
Other documents:
- Chair Summary of the UN Palestinian Rights Committee Briefing: “International legal responsibilities for preventing genocide, holding perpetrators of war crimes accountable, and for ending the unlawful occupation of Palestine” – 31 October 2024
- ‘Atrocities by One Side Do Not Justify Those by the Other,’ Commission of Inquiry Chair Tells Third Committee, Implicating Israeli Forces, Palestinian Armed Groups in War Crimes – GA 3rd Committee Press release 30 October 2024
On various occasions, UN rapporteurs and the Special Procedures mechanisms of the UN Human Rights Council have issued statements concerning developments in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Below is a selection of these statements: