INFO NOTE ON UN SPECIAL PROCEDURES – JULY 2019
This is the 21st monthly info note by ILGA World on UN Special Procedures and sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC).
This issue includes:
Call for inputs: Business enterprises; Development; Disability; Environment; Foreign debt; Hazardous substances and wastes; Violence against women; Water and sanitation
Upcoming country visits: Brazil; Bulgaria; Ecuador; Gambia; Greece; Honduras; Hungary; Malaysia; Mongolia; Nigeria; Norway; Peru; Qatar; South Africa; Somalia; Spain; Sri Lanka; Switzerland; Thailand; Uzbekistan
Download the July 2019 info note on Special Procedures
as a PDF file
RENEWAL OF THE MANDATE OF THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON SOGI
On July 12, 2019, in a defining vote, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert focusing on the protection against violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
The resolution was adopted by a vote of 27 in favour, with 12 voting against and 7 abstentions.
The campaign calling on the Council to renew the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on SOGI was supported by 1,312 non-governmental organizations from 174 States and territories. Read more!
Calls for input
| Mandate | Call | Deadline | Additional Info |
| Independent Expert on foreign debt |  Call for contributions: Private debt and human rights (thematic report to the 43rd HRC in Mar 2019) |
31 Jul 2019 | Read more: EN | FR | ES |
| NEW! Independent Expert on foreign debt | Call for input: Country visit to Mongolia (2-11 Sep 2019) | 31 July 2019 | Read more |
| Special Rapporteur on the environment | Call for input: Country visit to Norway (12-23 Sep 2019) | 31 Jul 2019 | Read more Questionnaire |
| Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities | Call for submissions: Good practices on effective access to justice for persons with disabilities | 15 Aug 2019 | Read more Questionnaire: EN | FR| ES |
| NEW! Working Group on business and human rights | Call for inputs to inform the two-day global consultation on the role of NHRIs in facilitating access to effective remedy for business-related human rights abuses (10-11 Oct 2019, Geneva) | 15 Aug 2019 | Read more Questionnaire: EN | FR | ES |
| Special Rapporteur on the right to development | Call for submissions: Country visit to Switzerland (23 Sep-2 Oct 2019) | 31 Aug 2019 | Read more: EN | FR |
| NEW! 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 hazardous substances and wastes | Call for submissions: Country visit to Brazil (2-13 Dec 2019) | 15 Sep 2019 | Read more |
| NEW! Special Rapporteur on violence against women |
Call for submissions: Country visit to Bulgaria (14-21 Oct 2019) | 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. Background note |
| 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 |
* Countries with standing invitations. A standing invitation is an open invitation extended by a Government to all thematic special procedures. By extending a standing invitation States announce that they will always accept requests to visit from all special procedures.
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 |
| NEW! Thailand and Malaysia | HR in Myanmar | 8-18 Jul 2019 |
| Hungary | Migrants | 10-17 Jul 2019 |
| Sri Lanka | Freedom of assembly and association |
15-26 Jul 2019 |
| NEW! Somalia | HR in Somalia | 15-26 Jul 2019 |
| Malaysia | Extreme poverty |
12-22 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 |
| 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 |
| NEW! Uzbekistan | Independence of judges and lawyers | 19-26 Sep 2019 |
| Switzerland | Development | 23 Sep – 2 Oct 2019 |
| Norway | Disability | 2-11 Oct 2019 |
| Gambia | Sale and sexual exploitation of children |
21-29 Oct 2019 |
| NEW! Bulgaria | Violence against women |
14-21 Oct 2019 |
| Qatar | Arbitrary detention | 3-14 Nov 2019 |
| Qatar | Racism |
24 Nov – 1 Dec 2019 |
| Brazil | Toxic waste | 2-13 Dec 2019 |
| Greece | Arbitrary detention | 2-13 Dec 2019 |
| Qatar | Education | 8-16 Dec 2019 |
| Qatar | Slavery | 13-20 Jan 2020 |
| NEW! Peru | Human rights defenders |
21 Jan – 7 Feb 2020 |
| Spain | Extreme poverty |
27 Jan – 7 Feb 2020 |
= Mandate frequently considers LGBTI issues.