The mandate of Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of Peaceful Assembly & Association (FoAA Mandate) was established in October 2010 via Human Rights Council resolution 15/21. The Special Rapporteur serves for a period of three years, renewable once. The mandate was last renewed via HRC resolution 41/12.
Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world.
Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
What is the goal of the FOAA mandate and what does the special rapporteur do?
The special rapporteur examines, monitors, advises and publicly reports on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association worldwide. Based on these findings, the special rapporteur formulates recommendations on how to ensure the promotion and protection of these rights.
To achieve this, the Special Rapporteur:
- Submits annual reports to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly;
- Undertakes fact-finding country visits;
- Transmits urgent appeals and allegation letters to Member States on alleged violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association; and
- Engages publicly on issues of concern, including through press releases and participation in various events.
The role consists in raising individual complaints with governments, increasing public awareness and developing international human rights standards.
More on the FOAA mandate of the Special Rapporteur here.