Guide to International Human Rights Mechanisms - Brookings

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International Mechanisms | UN Bodies
Rapporteur where government officials fail to address racist attitudes and activities that forestall
return or effective resettlement.
Who may submit communications Anyone may submit communications to the Special Rapporteur.
competence The Special Rapporteur is empowered to address issues in any UN member state.
exhaustion of Domestic remedies The Special Rapporteur does not require a showing of
exhaustion of local remedies.
Duplication of Procedures The Special Rapporteur does not bar duplication of procedures.
Time issues Where appropriate in the circumstances, the Special Rapporteur will issue urgent
appeals on an expedited basis. The Special Rapporteur seeks state replies within two weeks of an
urgent appeal. There is no time limit for submission of communications to the Special Rapporteur.
language and format Communications must be in writing and may be in any of the official UN
languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish. There is no required format for
submitting communications and no specific questionnaire provided, but at a minimum, information
provided should include the name of the person whose rights have been infringed, identification of
the perpetrators, identification of the person submitting the communication, the date and place of
the incident described, and a detailed description of the circumstances.
Procedure When a communication is received with adequate information, the Special Rapporteur
will forward it to the government with a request for its response and, in the case of urgent appeals,
immediate action to forestall the violation of rights.
Potential result The Special Rapporteur may issue a letter of concern and/or highlight the issue in his
annual reports to the Human Rights Council and General Assembly, which are made publicly available.
send communications to:
Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and
Related Intolerance
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 917 90 03
E-mail: urgent-action@ohchr.org (include the name of mechanism in the subject line)
for more information
The Special Rapporteur’s website: www.ohchr.org/english/issues/racism/rapporteur/
Frontline Defenders Guide: www.frontlinedefenders.org/manual/en/rac_m.htm
Guide to International Human Rights Mechanisms
for Internally Displaced Persons and their Advocates
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