INFO NOTE ON UN SPECIAL PROCEDURES – AUGUST 2019
This is the 22nd monthly info note by ILGA on UN Special Procedures and sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).
This issue includes:
Call for inputs: Development; Discrimination against women; Foreign debt; Freedom of assembly and association; Hazardous substances and wastes; Indigenous people; Sale of children; Violence against women; Water and sanitation
Upcoming country visits: Bosnia and Herzegovina; Brazil; Bulgaria; Ecuador; Gambia; Greece; Honduras; Malaysia; Mongolia; Nigeria; Norway; Peru; Republic of the Congo; Qatar; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Switzerland; Uzbekistan
Download the August 2019 info note on Special Procedures
as a PDF file
Call for inputs
| Mandate | Call | Deadline | Additional Info |
| NEW! Independent Expert on foreign debt | Call for submissions: Country visit to Mongolia (2-11 Sep 2019) | 23 Aug 2019 | Read more |
| Special Rapporteur on the right to development | Call for submissions: Country visit to Switzerland (23 Sep-2 Oct 2019) | 31 Aug 2019 | Read more: |
| NEW! Working Group on discrimination against women | Questionnaire on ‘Women’s Human Rights in the Changing World of Work’ | 1 Sep 2019 | Read more: |
NEW!  Special Rapporteur on freedom of assembly and association |
Call for submissions: Country visit to Zimbabwe (Sep 2019) | 1 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation | Third Human Rights Youth Challenge: inviting young (24 to 32 y.o.) supporters of the human rights to water and sanitation to submit an essay on a case study that assesses an experience of private sector participation in the water and sanitation sector | 2 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| NEW! Special Rapporteur on water and sanitation | Call for submissions: Country visit to Benin (29 Nov-12 Dec Oct 2019) | 15 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| Special Rapporteur on hazardous substances and wastes | Call for submissions: Country visit to Brazil (2-13 Dec 2019) | 15 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| NEW! Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples | Call for submissions: Country visit to the Republic of the Congo (14-24 Oct 2019) | 25 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| Special Rapporteur on violence against women | Call for submissions: Country visit to Bulgaria (14-21 Oct 2019) | 30 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| NEW! Special Rapporteur on violence against women | Call for submissions: Country visit to Ecuador (29 Nov-9 Dec 2019) | 30 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| NEW! Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children | Call for input for the upcoming report “Looking back, Looking forward” | 30 Sep 2019 | Read more |
= requests information on LGBTI persons.
Country visits by the Independent Expert on SOGI
The UN Independent Expert on SOGI, Victor Madrigal-Borloz, undertakes 1 to 3 fact-finding country visits per year.
In 2019, he is visiting Ukraine and Sri Lanka.
In 2018, he visited Georgia and Mozambique.
In 2017, his predecessor Prof. Vitit Muntarbhorn visited Argentina.
In March 2018, Victor Madrigal-Borloz made 12 country visit requests, and in this section you may find information about current status of the requests. Additionally, on 4 July 2018 Malta invited the Independent Expert to visit their country.
If you wish to engage with ILGA with regard to the Independent Expert’s visit to your country, please contact us ([email protected]).
| Country | Current Status |
| Argentina* | Visit conducted on 1-10 Mar 2017. End of Mission Statement: English – Spanish Press Release: English – Spanish Country visit report: E / F / S / A / C / R |
| Armenia* | Request to postpone (17 April 2018) |
| Burkina Faso | Visit request (26 Mar 2018) |
| Cambodia | Visit request (26 Mar 2018) |
| Georgia* | Visit conducted on 25 Sep to 5 Oct 2018. End of Mission Statement: English – Georgian Press Release: English – Georgian Country visit report: E / F / S / A / C / R |
| Ghana* | Visit request (26 Mar 2018) |
| Kenya* | Visit request (26 Mar 2018) |
| Malta* | Invitation Country Visit (4 Jul 2018) |
| Nepal | Visit request (26 Mar 2018) |
| Mozambique* | Visit conducted on 3-10 Dec 2018. End of Mission Statement: English – Portuguese Press Release: English – Portuguese Country visit report: E / F / S / A / C / R |
| Poland* | Request to postpone (15 May 2018) |
| Sri Lanka* | Visit postponed to 28 Oct to 8 Nov 2019. |
| Thailand* | Visit request (26 Mar 2018) |
| Ukraine* | Visit conducted on 30 Apr to 10 May 2019. End of Mission Statement: English Press Release: English – Russian |
Upcoming country visits by other mandates
This information is regularly updated by the OHCHR here. To find out how you can support the visits, please contact the respective mandate-holder at their email, found in the OHCHR directory.
| Country | Mandate | Dates |
| Malaysia | Extreme poverty |
12-22 Aug 2019 |
| NEW! Nigeria | Extrajudicial executions | 13-27 Aug 2019 |
| Sri Lanka | Freedom of religion |
15-24 Aug 2019 |
| Honduras | Independence of judges and lawyers | 16-22 Aug 2019 |
| Honduras | Business | 19-28 Aug 2019 |
| NEW! Zimbabwe | Freedom of assembly and association |
Sep 2019 |
| Mongolia | Foreign debt | 2-11 Sep 2019 |
| Norway | Environment | 12-23 Sep 2019 |
| South Africa | Albinism | 16-26 Sep 2019 |
| Ecuador | Health |
17-26 Sep 2019 |
| Nigeria | Housing |
17-26 Sep 2019 |
| Uzbekistan | Independence of judges and lawyers | 19-26 Sep 2019 |
| Switzerland | Development | 23 Sep – 2 Oct 2019 |
| NEW! Bosnia and Herzegovina | Migrants | 24 Sep – 1 Oct 2019 |
| Norway | Disability | 2-11 Oct 2019 |
| NEW! Republic of the Congo | Indigenous Peoples | 14-24 Oct 2019 |
| Gambia | Sale and sexual exploitation of children |
21-29 Oct 2019 |
| Bulgaria | Violence against women |
14-21 Oct 2019 |
| Qatar | Arbitrary detention | 3-14 Nov 2019 |
| Qatar | Racism |
24 Nov – 1 Dec 2019 |
| NEW! Ecuador | Violence against women |
29 Nov – 9 Dec 2019 |
| NEW! Benin | Water and sanitation |
29 Nov – 12 Dec 2019 |
| Brazil | Toxic waste | 2-13 Dec 2019 |
| Greece | Arbitrary detention | 2-13 Dec 2019 |
| Peru | Human rights defenders |
21 Jan – 7 Feb 2020 |
| Spain | Extreme poverty |
27 Jan – 7 Feb 2020 |
| NEW! Malaysia | Freedom of religion |
26 Mar – 8 Apr 2019 |
= Mandate frequently considers LGBTI issues.