GENEVA (6 November 2026) – UN experts* today expressed grave concern about escalating personal insults, derogatory remarks, threats and intimidating statements directed at Special Procedures mandate holders, including during official proceedings of the United Nations, by some States and other actors.
“States have every right to question, challenge or disagree with the findings, conclusions and recommendations of independent human rights experts. Such constructive scrutiny is an essential part of the interactive dialogue between States and the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council,” the experts said. “However, personal insults, degrading language and attempts to intimidate mandate holders have no place in such dialogue.”
We are also seriously concerned about false allegations related to how our mandates are funded and how we use those resources. It is common practice for UN Member States to provide voluntary contributions to Special Procedures. Voluntary contributions received by OHCHR are strictly governed by UN financial rules, policies and oversight mechanisms. They do not give donors any role in the appointment, direction, priorities, findings or conclusions of mandate holders. There is full transparency about the resources received by mandate holders that are declared on a yearly basis.
The experts expressed particular concern over the increasingly frequent use of personal attacks and public vilification in place of substantive engagement with the findings of independent human rights experts. The experts called on the UN leadership and presiding officers to take proactive steps to prevent recurrence of such attacks.
“Attacking the messenger does not discredit the accuracy of the evidence about serious breaches of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Personal attacks do not replace a substantive response to documented human rights concerns, and should not be used by States to distract from their responsibility to address them,” the experts said.
“We call on all Member States to engage with Special Procedures in good faith and respect the independence and integrity of United Nations human rights mechanisms. States should also grant physical access to mandate holders in order to assess first-hand the human rights situation on the ground,” they said.
“Malicious personal attacks have no place in the United Nations and must never be normalised as part of political debate. The independence of Special Procedures must be respected. We reaffirm our commitment to fulfilling the mandates entrusted to us by the Human Rights Council and in line with its Code of Conduct.”
“While such attacks divert our energy and time to defending ourselves rather than advancing human rights, we refuse to be silenced and we will continue to speak out against human rights abuses worldwide.”
ENDS
*The experts:
- George Katrougalos (Chair), Elisa Morgera, Fernanda Hopenhaym, Laura Nyirinkindi, Farida Shaheed and Surya Deva, Coordination Committee of Special Procedures
- Cecilia M. Bailliet, Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity
- Graeme Reid, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- Eduardo González, Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Mali
- Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights
- Koldo Casla, Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context
- Katarina Schwarz, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery and trafficking in persons
- Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
- Elena Carolina Díaz Galán, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Nicolas Levrat, Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Astrid Puentes Riaño, Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
- Paula Gaviria, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons)
- Juliet Willetts, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Bethanie Margaret Carney Almroth, Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes
- Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
- Zaina Jallad, Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights
- Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism
- Leopoldo Maldonado Gutiérrez, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Bernard Duhaime, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence
- Mariângela Batista Galvão Simão, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Sofía Monsalve Suárez, Special Rapporteur on the right to food
- Heba Hagrass, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Andrea Bolaños Vargas, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan
- Nils Muižnieks, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus
- Thomas Andrews, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia
- Elizabeth Salmón, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Mai Sato, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran
- Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967
- Mariana Katzarova, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation
- Pau Pérez Sales, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Isabelle Mamadou (Chair), John Phillip Binondo, Barbara Reynolds and Catherine S. Namakula, Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
- Matthew Gillett (Chair-Rapporteur), Ethan Hee-Seok Shin (Vice-Chair for Follow-Up) and Nicolás Laino, Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
- Ivana Krstić (Chair), Haina Lu (Vice-Chair), Claudia Flore, Laura Nyirinkindi and Daniela Salazar Marín, Working Group on discrimination against women and girls
- Grażyna Baranowska (Chair-Rapporteur), Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez (Vice-Chair), Gabriella Citroni, Mohammed Al-Obaidi and Anjli Parrin, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
- Robert Mccorquodale (Chair), Fernanda Hopenhaym (Vice-Chair), Lyra Jakulevičienė, Damilola Olawuyi and Pichamon Yeophantong, Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises
- Shalmali Guttal (Chair), Carlos Duarte, Davit Hakobyan, Uche Ofodile and Geneviève Savigny, Working Group on peasants and other people working in rural areas
- Michelle Small (Chair-Rapporteur), Joana de Deus Pereira, Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito, Andrés Macías Tolosa and Tom Temprosa, Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination
