A/HRC/28/41
46.
OHCHR informed the special procedures about steps taken to enhance and redesign
its current website. The process is being put in place in a gradual manner and is expected to
also include webpages devoted to special procedures mechanisms. In the meantime, the
Secretariat will continue to update content relating to special procedures mandates and to
create new pages for newly appointed mandate holders.
4.
Media and outreach
47.
Mandate holders discussed ways to increase efficiency when issuing media
statements, including issues related to timing and coordination with all concerned. They
also enquired about contacts with media units in other organizations on crossing-cutting
issues such environment and health, and suggested a different approach to press releases,
including by making them more targeted to resonate at the national and local levels.
48.
The OHCHR media unit briefed participants about media established practices. It
also reported on other successful communication tools, such as web stories and information
notes.
B.
Engagement with stakeholders
49.
Participants considered how best to relate and share information within the United
Nations system, including in the field, to ensure that all are well informed about their work
and recommendations. In addition to and in keeping with the Human Rights Up Front
initiative, launched by the Secretary-General in July 2013, discussions should continue on
other ways to more fully integrate the findings of special procedures into the work of the
United Nations system and its intergovernmental bodies, such as the Security Council.
50.
Participants also considered cooperation with academic institutions, which could
provide useful research, especially in the light of the resource constraints faced by the
special procedures. Other useful ways for the special procedures to secure inputs included
expert meetings, national and regional consultations and meetings with regional
mechanisms.
C.
Challenges confronting the system
51.
Despite an expanding system and the major contributions of the special procedures
to the protection and promotion of human rights, the system continued to face critical
challenges, including underfunding, which was having an impact on their activities.
Reprisals against those cooperating with the United Nations, its representatives and
mechanisms in the field of human rights were a cause of great concern, as was the noncooperation of certain States with mandate holders.
1.
Financing the special procedures
52.
OHCHR recalled that the special procedures received approximately 0.5 per cent of
the United Nations regular budget. These resources were distributed evenly across
mandates, but were still insufficient to support adequately all mandates and the needs of
mandate holders. In the past, a number of mandates had been established by the Council
without adequate regular budget resources and, in some cases, without any provision at all
for staff support. Today, the standard minimum of 1.5 Professional and 0.5 General Service
staff support for each individual mandate and three Professionals and one General Service
staff for each working group to ensure effective support to the mandates concerned had not
been met. Regular budget allocations provided for consultancies under existing mandates
had also decreased. Moreover, in the absence of a resolution on the special procedures
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