Country visits

Invitations to visit

The Special Rapporteur is mandated to conduct official visits to States. Some States have issued standing invitations to all Special Procedures mandates of the Human Rights Council, while for others the mandate holder writes to the State requesting that an invitation be extended.

The purpose of country visits

These visits provide an opportunity to examine in detail the enjoyment of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, to identify any problems and to make recommendations on how these could be resolved. The visits are intended to provide an independent and impartial assessment, for use by all actors on the ground.

How long are the visits?

Visits usually take place of a period up to 10 days, but the duration may change depending upon the size of the country or the complexity of the issues to be addressed.

What happens during a country visit?

The Special Rapporteur usually meets with the Heads of State and of Government, relevant Government Ministers, heads of law enforcement authorities, members of the legislative and the judiciary, representatives of independent human rights institutions, representatives of civil society, the media, United Nations agencies, among others. The Special Rapporteur will usually begin a visit in the capital city, and then proceed to other cities or towns, as well as to rural areas of particular relevance to the mandate.

At the end of the visit, the Special Rapporteur generally holds a press conference during which he shares his preliminary observations and recommendations for the consideration of the Government concerned and other stakeholders.

What happens after the visit?

The Special Rapporteur presents his final observations and recommendations to the Human Rights Council (in June every year), and may undertake follow-up to issues raised during the visit as necessary.

Country visits reports

To access the reports in all the official languages, please copy the relevant document code, click on "Categorized Search", and paste it in the "Symbol Number" Field or alternatively search under "Documents"

Requests for visits

The mandate-holder has made requests to visit the following countries: