UN experts call for safeguarding Special Procedures system as ‘indispensable pillar’ for human rights protection

GENEVA – Amid rising authoritarianism, deepening polarisation, growing intolerance, and mounting pressures on the multilateral system, Human Rights Day offers a vital moment to reaffirm our shared commitment to universal human rights, UN experts* said today. They issued a joint statement renewing their unwavering dedication to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and emphasising the urgent need for a strong, independent, and properly resourced human rights system — one capable of safeguarding dignity, justice, and equality for all.

“Standing firmly by the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, even as the multilateral order and the global human rights ecosystem face an unprecedented and existential threat, we recommit to upholding our independence as a human rights mechanism and responding to the calls and expectations of victims, survivors and all those in need.

We will continue to call for the full implementation of human rights standards and provide dedicated technical advice, grounding our work in the principles of international human rights law.

We endeavour to keep promoting positive change in people’s lives by discharging our prevention and protection mandates.

We will remain steadfast in our advocacy for stronger protection of human rights, the rule of law and democratic processes around the world. We will continue to proclaim inconvenient truths.

Over the decades, UN leaders have repeatedly affirmed the system’s significance and power. In 2006, Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed Special Procedures as the “crown jewel” of the international human rights system. His successor, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, described Special Procedures experts as the Council’s indispensable “eyes and ears,” essential for exposing violations and insisted that they must be allowed to work unhindered. Former High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour famously characterised Special Procedures as the UN’s frontline human rights defenders — the system’s early warning and protection mechanism in action.

This mechanism has grown into a dynamic system, with committed independent experts working pro bono on a vast range of thematic and country situations. Special Procedures mandate holders have carried out their duties with courage, impartiality and unwavering dedication — often at great personal cost — at a time when many human rights voices are being intimidated into silence. Their impact has reverberated despite severely limited capacity and resources.

As the United Nations and the Human Rights Council undergo critical moments of reform and reflection, we emphasise that these processes must create more, not fewer spaces for dialogue. Human rights protection is indispensable for peace, security and sustainable development.

We call on Member States to resist all attempts to dilute or sideline the Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures system. States and all relevant actors must act now to protect and reinforce Special Procedures as an indispensable pillar through which human rights concerns are heard. As independent voices, we are able to defend all human rights, everywhere, even in the face of personal attacks, threats and sanctions.

On Human Rights Day, we pledge to victims across the world that we will remain your voices and your advocates – even when it seems that the world has turned away.”