Communications reports of special procedures

Special procedures are mandated by the Human Rights Council to report to it on their activities.

Since September 2011, special procedures mandates have submitted a joint report on their communications to each regular session of the Human Rights Council. These periodic reports include short summaries of allegations communicated to States or other entities, with hyperlinks to the text of the communications sent and responses received.

The reports contain urgent appeals sent by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and joint urgent appeals sent by them together with other mandates. They do not contain other types of communications issued by these mandates, in accordance with their own distinctive procedures. These are reported exclusively in the annual reports of these two working groups.

Communications sent before 1 December 2010 and replies related to them are contained in addenda to the special procedures’ annual reports to the Human Rights Council. These communications reports are accessible on the webpages of thematic mandates.

Further statistical information on communications sent to States can be found in the annual Facts and Figures on Special Procedures.