Purpose of the mandate
Migration has been part of the human experience throughout history, and the number of migrants is growing worldwide. For those migrants finding themselves in situations of vulnerability, this mandate was created to:
- Examine ways and means to overcome the obstacles existing to the full and effective protection of the human rights of all migrants at all stages of migration
- Elaborate recommendations on strengthening the promotion, protection and implementation of the human rights of all migrants
About the mandate
The Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants is an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The mandate was created in 1999 by the Commission on Human Rights, pursuant to resolution 1999/44. Since then, the mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been extended by Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2002/62 and 2005/47; and Human Rights Council resolutions 8/10, 17/12, 26/19,
34/21, and most recently
43/6, each for a period of three years.
The mandate of the Special Rapporteur covers all countries, irrespective of whether a State has ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, of 18 December 1990.
Learn more about the mandate
Current mandate holder
Felipe González Morales has been the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants since 2017. He is a Professor of International Law at the Diego Portales University, in Santiago, Chile, where he is also the Director of a Master in International Human Rights Law. He was a Commissioner and the Rapporteur on Migrants between 2008 and 2015 at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, where he was President from 2010 to 2011.
Read Mr. González Morales’ full biography and CV.
Latest thematic reports
Ending immigration detention of children and providing adequate care and reception for them: In this report, submitted at the 2020 session of the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur examines the international legal framework protecting the human rights of migrant children and reviews the impact of immigration detention on children and existing alternative care and reception solutions.
View report page | View document
A/75/183
Right to freedom of association of migrants and their defenders: This report, submitted at the 2020 session of the Human Rights Council, provides a thematic study on the right to freedom of association of migrants and examines recent trends in restrictions in law and in practice on freedom of association for migrants and civil society organizations that work to protect migrants’ rights. View
report page | View document
A/HRC/44/42
Latest country reports
Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (24 September to 1 October 2019). View document
A/HRC/44/42/Add.2
Mission to Hungary (10 to 17 July 2019). View document
A/HRC/44/42/Add.1
