Special Rapporteur is a title given to individuals working on behalf of the United Nations who bear a specific mandate from the former UN Commission on Human Rights to investigate, monitor and recommend solutions to human rights problems in specific countries or territories (country mandates), or specific human right violations worldwide (thematic mandates).

Special rapporteurs have the ability to respond quickly to allegations of human right violations occurring anywhere in the world at any time. Special rapporteurs can receive different names like representative, special representative or independent expert.

The mandate-holders are independent, not paid by the United Nations and serve in their personal capacity for a maximum of six years.

Special rapporteurs have a number of tools available to them to meet the goals of their mandates. Some of them are:

Communications: one of the main activities consist in taking action on individual cases. When a special rapporteur receives information on alleged human rights violations, the information must be transmitted through OHCHR, to the Government concerned requesting clarification, information and comments on the allegation and requesting that preventive or investigatory action be taken. Communications can take the form of either:

• urgent appeals: used to bring the attention of a Government to a violation of human rights ongoing or about to occur.
  
• letters of allegation: used to communicate information and request clarification about violations that have been committed.

Country Visits: visits can take place following a request for invitation from the special rapporteur to the Government or in response to an standing invitation from the Government. Country visits are used to assess the general human rights situation in a country. On the basis of their findings they make recommendations in public reports sent previously to the Commission.

Reporting to the Human Rights Council: Special rapporteurs report to the Human rights Council annually on their working methods, analysis, trends, and developments, regarding their mandates. These reports may contain general recommendations.

The Special Rapporteurs whose mandate is related to some aspects of enforced disappearances are:

Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions

• examine situations of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and to submit findings to the Commission on Human Rights.
• enhance further dialogue with Governments follow up on recommendations made in reports after visits to particular countries;
• pay special attention to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions of children and women and to allegations concerning violations of the right to life in the context of violence against participants in demonstrations and other peaceful public manifestations or against persons belonging to minorities;
• pay special attention to extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions where the victims are individuals who are carrying out peaceful activities in defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
• continue monitoring the implementation of existing international standards on safeguards and restrictions relating to the imposition of capital punishment.

Special Rapporteur on Torture:

• Seek and receive credible and reliable information from Governments, the specialized agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations;
• Make urgent appeals to Governments to clarify the situation of individuals whose circumstances give grounds to fear that treatment falling within the Special Rapporteur's mandate might occur or be occurring;
• Transmit to Governments information of the sort mentioned in (a) above indicating that acts falling within his mandate may have occurred or that legal or administrative measures are needed to prevent the occurrence of such acts;
• Carry out visits in situ with the consent of the Government concerned.

Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders:

• Seek, receive, examine and respond to information on the situation and the rights of human rights defenders
• Establish cooperation and conduct dialogue with governments and other interested actors on the promotion and effective implementation of the declaration; and
• Recommend effective strategies better to protect human rights defenders and follow up on these recommendations.