CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR 16 INDEPENDENT MANDATE HOLDER POSITIONS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, WITH EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN HUMAN RIGHTS

The Secretariat of the Human Rights Council is now accepting applications for 16 mandate holder vacancies:

• Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (four vacancies: members from African States, Asia-Pacific States, Eastern European States, Western European and other States)
• Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (two vacancies: members from Asia and the Arctic)
• Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons*
• Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia*
• Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context*
• Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences*
• Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
• Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights
• Special Rapporteur on the right to food
• Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children*
• Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders*
• Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar*

* The appointment of this mandate holder will be made provided that the mandate itself is extended by the Council.

These unremunerated United Nations expert positions established by the Human Rights Council are expected to be filled at the Council’s 61st session (23 February – 3 April 2026, dates to be confirmed), with the appointments to be made at the end of that session. Individuals seeking appointment should have extensive recognized professional experience and expertise in the field of human rights, with an emphasis on the particular human rights issues to which the position relates.

The “special procedures” of the Human Rights Council are independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective. Special procedures are either an individual (called “Special Rapporteur” or “Independent Expert”) or a working group composed of five members, one from each of the five United Nations regional groups: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and the Western European and other group. These experts are appointed by and report to the Human Rights Council.

Subsidiary expert mechanisms provide the Council with thematic expertise, focused mainly on studies, research-based advice or best practices. They meet and report annually to the Council. Members of expert mechanisms are independent human rights experts selected and appointed by the Human Rights Council in the same way as special procedure mandate holders.

Candidates eligible for the vacancies in Working Groups and in the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (EMRTD) are only nationals of States belonging to the specific regional groups for which specific vacancies have been advertised. For members of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples(EMRIP), candidates need to represent the indigenous sociocultural regions for which the respective vacancies have been advertised.

The work of independent mandate holders is unpaid. Those appointed as mandate holders serve in their personal capacities. They are not United Nations staff members, they are not based in United Nations offices in Geneva or at another United Nations location, and they do not receive salary or other financial compensation, except for travel expenses and daily subsistence allowance of “experts on mission”. Their specific functions are defined in the HRC resolutions creating or extending their mandate. Candidates must be available to perform effectively the functions of the mandate and to respond to its requirements, such as participating in Working Group and Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva, travelling on country missions, drafting reports according to established deadlines, organizing and participating in consultations and meetings, addressing allegations of human rights violations with all concerned, providing advice to States and other stakeholders on issues related to their mandate and engaging with a variety of stakeholders. Candidates should be able to dedicate an estimated time of four to six months per year to the work of a mandate depending on its workload.