Special procedures - Thematic mandates Independent Experts:

Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty:

Mandate:

1. To evaluate the relationship between the promotion and protection of human rights and extreme poverty, including through the evaluation of measures taken at the national and international levels to promote the full enjoyment of human rights by persons living in extreme poverty;
2. To take into account in particular the obstacles encountered and progress made by women living in extreme poverty as regards the enjoyment of their fundamental rights;
3. To make recommendations and, as appropriate, proposals in the sphere of technical assistance;
4. To report on these activities to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth sessions and to make those reports available to the Commission for Social Development and the Commission on the Status of Women, as appropriate, for their sessions during the same years;
5. To contribute to the General Assembly's evaluation in the year 2000 of the World Summit for Social Development by making his or her final report and conclusions available to the preparatory committee for the special session of the General Assembly devoted to that evaluation;
and
6. To make suggestions to the Commission on Human Rights at its fifty-fifth session on the main points of a possible draft declaration on human rights and extreme poverty.
7. to take into account the situation and empowerment of women in extreme poverty, applying a gender perspective in his/her work.

Independent Expert on minority issues:

Mandate:

1. To promote the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, including through consultations with Governments, taking into account existing international standards and national legislation concerning minorities;
2. To identify best practices and possibilities for technical cooperation by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the request of Governments;
3. To apply a gender perspective in his or her work;
4. To cooperate closely, while avoiding duplication, with existing relevant United Nations bodies, mandates, mechanisms as well as regional organizations;
5. To take into account the views of non-governmental organizations on matters pertaining to his or her mandate.

The Commission also requested the Independent Expert to submit annual reports on her activities to the Commission, including recommendations for effective strategies for the better implementation of the rights of persons belonging to minorities.

Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity:

Mandate:

1. study the issue and prepare a draft declaration on the right of peoples to international solidarity;
2. take into account the outcomes of all major United Nations and other global summits and ministerial meetings in the economic and social fields and to seek views and contributions from Governments, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the discharge of her/his mandate;
3. report annually to the Commission on the progress made in the fulfilment of his/her mandate.

Independent expert on the effects of economic reform policies and foreign debt on the full enjoyment of human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights:

Mandate:

1. study the issue and prepare a draft declaration on the right of peoples to international solidarity;
2. take into account the outcomes of all major United Nations and other global summits and ministerial meetings in the economic and social fields and to seek views and contributions from Governments, United Nations agencies, other relevant international organizations and non-governmental organizations in the discharge of her/his mandate;
3. report annually to the Commission on the progress made in the fulfilment of his/her mandate.

Representative of the Secretary-General:

Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons:

Mandate:

1. engaging in coordinated advocacy in favor of the protection and respect of the human rights of IDPs,
2. continuing and enhancing dialogues with Governments as well as non-governmental organizations and other actors,
3. strengthening the international response to internal displacement, and
4. mainstreaming the human rights of IDPs into all relevant parts of the UN system.

He was also requested to build upon the work of his predecessor in raising awareness of IDP rights issues, promoting and disseminating the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (E.CN.4/1998/53/Add.2) at the national, regional and international levels, undertaking country missions, convening national and regional seminars, providing support for capacity building of non-governmental organizations and other relevant institutions, and conducting policy-oriented research.

Working Groups:

Working Group on people of African descent:

• Mr. Peter Lesa KASANDA: ( Zambia )
• Mr. Joe FRANS : ( Sweden )
• Mr. George N. JABBOUR: ( Syrian Arab Republic )
• Ms. Irina ZLATESCU: ( Romania )

Mandate:

1. study the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent living in the Diaspora and to this end gather all relevant information from Governments, non-governmental organizations and other relevant sources, including through holding public meetings with them;
2. propose measures to ensure full and effective access to the justice system by people of African descent,
3. submit recommendations on the design, implementation and enforcement of effective measures to eliminate racial profiling of people of African descent;
4. elaborate short, medium and long-term proposals for the elimination of racial discrimination against people of African descent, bearing in mind the need for close collaboration with international and development institutions and the specialized agencies of the United Nations system to promote the human rights of people of African descent, inter alia through:
1. (i) Improving the human rights situation of people of African descent by devoting special attention to their needs, inter alia through the preparation of specific programmes of action;
2. (ii) Designing special projects, in collaboration with people of African descent, to support their initiatives at the community level and to facilitate the exchange of information and technical know-how between these populations and experts in these areas;
3. (iii) Developing programmes intended for people of African descent allocating additional investments to health systems, education, housing, electricity, drinking water and environmental control measures and promoting equal opportunities in employment, as well as other affirmative or positive action initiatives, within the human rights framework;
5. make proposals on the elimination of racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent in all parts of the world;
6. address all the issues concerning the well-being of Africans and people of African descent contained in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Working Group on Arbitrary Detention:

• Ms. Leila ZERROUGUI : ( Algeria )
• Mr. Tamás BÁN : ( Hungary )
• Ms. Manuela Carmena CASTRILLO : ( Spain )
• Mr. Seyyed Mohammad HASHEMI: ( Islamic Republic of Iran )
• Ms. Soledad VILLAGRA DE BIEDERMANN: ( Paraguay )

Mandate:

1. To investigate cases of deprivation of liberty imposed arbitrarily, provided that no final decision has been taken in such cases by domestic courts in conformity with domestic law, with the relevant international standards set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and with the relevant international instruments accepted by the States concerned;
2. To seek and receive information from Government and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and receive information from the individuals concerned, their families or their representatives;
3. To present a comprehensive report to the Commission at its annual session.

Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances:

• Mr. Santiago CORCUERA CABEZUT : ( Mexico )
• Mr. Joel ADEBAYO ADEKANYE : ( Nigeria )
• Mr. Darko GÖTTLICHER: ( Croatia )
• Mr. Saeed Rajaee KHORASANI: ( Islamic Republic of Iran )
• Mr. Stephen J. TOOPE: ( Canada )

Mandate:
To assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of their relatives who, having disappeared, are placed outside the protection of the law. The WGEID endeavours to establish a channel of communication between the families and the Governments concerned, to ensure that individual cases which families have brought to the Group’s attention are investigated with the objective of clarifying the whereabouts of disappeared persons.

Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination:

• Mr. José GÓMEZ DEL PRADO : ( Spain )
• Ms. Najat AL-HAJJAJI : ( Libyan Arab Jamahiriya )
• Ms. Amada BENAVIDES DE PÉREZ: ( Colombia )
• Mr. Alexander Ivanovich NIKITIN: ( Russian Federation )
• Ms. Shaista SHAMEEM: ( Fiji )

Mandate:

1. To elaborate and present concrete proposals on possible new standards, general guidelines or basic principles encouraging the further protection of human rights, in particular the right of peoples to self-determination, while facing current and emergent threats posed by mercenaries or mercenary-related activities;
2. To seek opinions and contributions from Governments and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on questions relating to its mandate;
3. To monitor mercenaries and mercenary-related activities in all their forms and manifestations in different parts of the world;
4. To monitor mercenaries and mercenary-related activities in all their forms and manifestations in different parts of the world;
5. To study and identify emerging issues, manifestations and trends regarding mercenaries or mercenary-related activities and their impact on human rights, particularly on the right of peoples to self-determination;
6. To monitor and study the effects of the activities of private companies offering military assistance, consultancy and security services on the international market on the enjoyment of human rights, particularly the right of peoples to self-determination, and to prepare draft international basic principles that encourage respect for human rights on the part of those companies in their activities.