A/HRC/37/63 cultural, economic, political and social rights, and demonstrates that the so-called “fragmentation” of international law does not permit circumventing the holistic application of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the core human rights treaties. There can be no “legal black hole” in the field of human rights, and in the twenty-first century the international human rights treaty regime permeates all fields of activity and imposes duties not only on States, but also on non-State actors. By joining the dots, this comprehensive mandate gives concrete expression to the purposes and principles of the United Nations and formulates pragmatic recommendations to States, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), universities and other private actors. It is in this spirit, that the Independent Expert campaigned in the diplomatic community for the creation of the new mandates on the right to development and on the right to privacy. Today, the Independent Expert calls for the establishment of new rapporteurships on the right of selfdetermination and on the right to peace, both aimed at addressing grievances in a timely fashion so as to promote local, regional and international peace and development. 6. In addition to drafting the reports, the Independent Expert has also issued more than a hundred press releases and media statements — and some fifty longer essays or “information notes” — that have sought to illustrate the variety of issues that have an impact on the international order. 7. From 26 November to 9 December, the Independent Expert carried out the mandate holder’s first official visit to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Ecuador.5 Among the aims of the visit was to study how the alternative social and economic models of the member States of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, in particular the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela and the Citizens’ Revolution in Ecuador, have had an impact on the international order, and vice versa. This two-country visit provided an opportunity to explore the big picture challenges faced by all Governments, in particular how economic, social and cultural rights can be given greater emphasis without restricting the enjoyment of civil and political rights. 6 Encouragingly, shortly after the visit, some action had already been taken that was consistent with the preliminary recommendations of the Independent Expert.7 8. It is to be expected that, over the coming years, the international order mandate will continue to unfold its potential. Admittedly, achieving a democratic and equitable international order requires overcoming formidable obstacles, including the misplaced priorities of some Governments and international organizations, bias in favour of civil and political rights, the prevailing “demophobia” in many countries in which Governments do not respond to the wishes of their citizens and ban or even criminalize referendums, the curses of positivism, selectivity and double standards and the propensity to go for shortterm solutions instead of addressing their root causes. Substantively, the continued existence of secrecy jurisdictions, the impunity of transnational corporations, private security companies and other private sector actors are continuing impediments. 9. In addition to tackling these concerns, future mandate holders may wish to address the impact on a democratic and equitable international order of intergovernmental groupings, such as the Group of Seven and the Group of 20, private associations, like the United States Council on Foreign Relations, the World Economic Forum, the Bilderberg Group and the Trilateral Commission, and others, which are sometimes perceived as promoting world government outside the United Nations context,8 and the World Social Forums since Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2001. 5 6 7 8 4 See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22457&LangID=E. The report on these visits is due to be presented at the thirty-eighth session of the Council. A press release following the mission is available at: www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Display News.aspx?NewsID=22531&LangID=E. The preliminary observations of the Independent Expert are available at: www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22530&LangID=E. See www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22569&LangID=E. See, e.g., Robert Eringer, The Global Manipulators (Bristol, Pentacle Books, 1980); Ian N. Richardson, Andrew P. Kakabadse and Nada K. Kakabadse, Bilderberg People: Elite Power and