VACANCIES OF INDEPENDENT UNITED NATIONS EXPERTS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, WITH EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN HUMAN RIGHTS

Five unremunerated United Nations expert positions established by the Human Rights Council are expected to be filled at the Council’s 46th session, with the appointments to be made at the end of that session. Individuals seeking appointment should have extensive and internationally recognized professional experience and expertise in the field of human rights with an emphasis on the particular human rights issues to which the positions relate.

Applications are now accepted for:

1. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), member from Africa (HRC resolution 33/25)

2. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), member from North America (HRC resolution 33/25)

3. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia
(HRC resolution 42/37)

4. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, member from African States (HRC resolution 45/24)

5. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, member from Asia-Pacific States
(HRC resolution 42/22)

The “special procedures” of the Human Rights Council (HRC) are independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective. These experts report to the Human Rights Council – the main United Nations intergovernmental body dealing with human rights.

Experts serve in their independent and personal capacity. Their specific functions are defined in the HRC resolutions creating or extending their mandate. The work involves substantial time commitment, approximately three months per year, and includes examining, monitoring, advising and publicly reporting on either specific country situations (country mandates), or on thematic issues in all parts of the world (thematic mandates). Activities of special procedures also include undertaking country visits, acting on individual cases, conducting studies and engage in general advocacy activities. All mandate holders report annually to the HRC and most mandate holders also report to the General Assembly.

EMRIP experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council in the same way as special procedure mandate holders, with due regard to be given to recognized competence and experience in the rights of indigenous peoples, experts of indigenous origin and gender balance. EMRIP members also serve in their independent and personal capacity.

Appointed experts are not United Nations staff members, they are not based in the United Nations offices in Geneva or another United Nations location and they do not receive any salary or other financial compensation except for allowances when they travel officially. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights provides support to the mandate holders.

Only nationals of the States belonging to the regional groups, for which specific vacancies have been advertised, are eligible for the Working Group mandates. Please refer to the list of the United Nations regional groups of Member States.

For EMRIP members, candidates need to represent one of the two indigenous sociocultural regions for which vacancies have been advertised. Please see additional information on EMRIP.