Using International Law 569
Special procedures
The United Nations has also established “special procedures” to address human
rights abuses. Groups and individuals can use these special procedures by
contacting human rights experts called “Special Rapporteurs.” They investigate
human rights abuses that happen within their area of work (called their
“mandate”), such as the right to food, the right to health, and the dumping of
toxic wastes.
These Special Rapporteurs can be contacted with a simple letter, along with
any news reports, documents, or other written information about the problem.
The Rapporteurs then present a report to the United Nations with their
recommendation. As with the Committees, the success often depends on the
interests of the Rapporteur.
Sometimes a Rapporteur will visit the community, which can bring media
attention and give credibility to the community’s demands. If you think that
a visit would help your struggle for human rights, all of your communication
with the Rapporteur should include an urgent invitation to visit the site of
the abuses.
The names of the Rapporteurs, their mandates, and their contact
information can be found on the United Nations Human Rights website (www.
ohchr.org) under “Human Rights by Issue.”
Other regional legal forums exist, such as the Inter-American Human
Rights Commission and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’
Rights. They have their own human rights agreements and procedures that
are sometimes easier for people and communities to use. For more information
on human rights procedures for countries in the Americas and the Caribbean,
see www.oas.org/en/iachr/default.asp and for more information for African
countries, see www.achpr.org.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012