Within his mandate, the special Rapporteur should aim to:
Promote the Declaration on human rights defenders
This should be done through cooperation and dialogue with governments, relevant stakeholders and other interested actors. For example, the special Rapporteur tries to disseminate the Declaration on human rights defenders at each occasion and every speech.
His goal is to make sure that a wider audience knows the Declaration. He can also encourage States to implement the Declaration within their territory and their legislation.
Study trends, developments and challenges
By this process of reflection, he can elaborate strategies that completely match the actual situation of human rights defenders with their needs.
Recommend concrete and effective strategies
This is done in order to better protect human rights defenders and follow-up their consequences. In his public reports, the special Rapporteur makes recommendations to States. These recommendations reflect his observations and the information he has received on the situation of human rights defenders. To make these recommendations useful and effective, the special Rapporteur has to follow-up them. For example, he will check if the State modified its legislation as recommended.
Seek, receive and examine the information on individual cases
Human rights defenders can, for example, contact the special Rapporteur about a worrying situation.
By receiving this information, the special Rapporteur can undertake an in-depth analysis of the situation and take protective and preventative actions.
The special Rapporteur should take gender into consideration through the work of his mandate by paying special attention to the situation of women human rights defenders Women human rights defenders suffer additional difficulties in their human rights promotion and protection activities. That is why the Special Rapporteur has to pay particular attention to this situation.
Work in close coordination with other relevant United Nations bodies
When the special Rapporteur works on a subject that can also be related to other United Nations bodies he can collaborate with them for better coordination.
For example, he can collaborate with the special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association when a human rights defender has been arrested while he/she was peacefully protesting.
Report regularly to United Nations Human rights Council and the General Assembly
Throughout his mandate, the special Rapporteur has to present reports in which he describes his activities, shares his preoccupations and makes recommendations on the situation of human rights defenders around the world.
Moreover, the special Rapporteur is not a United Nations staff member and does not receive a salary for his activities.