Who this is relevant for
This service is for affected individuals, relatives, civil-society organisations, journalists and lawyers who can identify an alleged violation but need help selecting a relevant thematic or country mandate. Suitable matters may concern judicial pressure, arbitrary detention, freedom of expression, privacy, torture or reprisals against human-rights defenders.
Scope and procedure
Special Procedures are independent experts appointed under Human Rights Council mandates. They may send allegation letters or urgent appeals to governments and other actors. They do not adjudicate criminal guilt, replace local courts or award compensation. Exhaustion of domestic remedies is not a prerequisite for the experts to send a communication, unlike many individual treaty-body procedures. The mandate-holders alone decide whether information warrants action, whether several mandates should cooperate and when any communication is made public.
Evidence, strategy and submission preparation
Our preparation begins with a chronology that distinguishes first-hand observations from inference, documents from opinion and direct testimony from country-background material. We check mandate scope, identify the responsible actors, verify translated passages and draft a coherent description of alleged harm. Before submission, we discuss security, possible publication of victims' names, contact preferences and whether exposure could create retaliation risks.
Practical checklist
- Identify the particular conduct and a potential thematic or country mandate.
- Write a dated chronology and distinguish fact, allegation and legal characterisation.
- Collect court decisions, official replies, photographs or witness statements with provenance.
- Decide on consent and disclosure preferences before any names are shared.
- Confirm whether immediate domestic legal protection is needed alongside a UN submission.
Key considerations and documents
| Issue | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Mandate fit | A rights issue and state or other actor falling plausibly within the mandate. |
| Evidence package | Concise allegations, chronology, source map and key attachments. |
| Disclosure review | Names, consent, safety threats and the possibility of later public reporting. |
| Submission outcome | Independent screening; an automatic receipt is not a decision to send a letter. |
What outcomes and limitations should you expect?
Filing information does not guarantee a letter, public statement or remedy. OHCHR generally cannot provide routine private status updates, and publication of a communication is not a judicial determination that the allegations are true. Our deliverable is a carefully reviewed submission package and an explanation of follow-up options; official UN processes remain free and independent.
How our team can help
Our assistance is scoped in writing: initial eligibility and risk review; document and chronology preparation; independent research; drafting and quality assurance; and, where relevant, coordination with admitted counsel. We explain deliverables and exclusions before an engagement and never charge for privileged access to a UN process.
Frequently asked questions
May I submit without a lawyer?
Yes. Individuals and groups may submit information directly through the official OHCHR portal.
Do I have to exhaust every appeal first?
Not for a Special Procedures communication, though national documents and remedies often remain relevant.
Will the Rapporteur keep my name secret?
Do not assume so. Names can be transmitted or later published; raise specific security risks and consent preferences before filing.
Request an assessment
Request a conflict-aware assessment of the facts, target mandate and evidence available; do not send sensitive originals through an unsecured contact form.
Next step: Request a confidential case assessment.
Related pages
- UN Special Procedures: Rapporteurs, Experts and Working Groups
- UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
- Urgent Appeals to UN Special Procedures
- How to File a UN Human Rights Complaint: Choose the Correct Procedure
Official references
- OHCHR Special Procedures submission guidance
- OHCHR official submissions portal
- OHCHR Special Procedures Communications database
Independent informational website. Not an official United Nations or OHCHR service. UN mechanisms assess matters independently; filing does not guarantee intervention, an outcome or a particular timeline.