The Role and Status of the Special Rapporteurs of The United Nations Human Rights Council

“Special rapporteurs” of the Human Rights Council as part of the special procedures are tasked with monitoring Human Rights situations of the countries on the country and thematic levels. Through time, these activities have played a significant role in informing and documenting the human rights situation of a country and norm-setting concerning emerging concepts. It is noteworthy that the result of the rapporteurs' evaluations is not focused and limited to the responsibilities assigned to them by the Human Rights Council; Rather, their reports are widely used and exploited as a reliable source by other institutions and organizations, including human rights treaty bodies, the United Nations General Assembly, the International Court of Justice and other national and international tribunals. In addition, they have been used by many international organizations and human rights defenders. Therefore, considering the extent of the use of special rapporteurs' reports by other mechanisms, it is necessary to know how and to what extent national, regional and international institutions, apart from the Human Rights Council, have used the activities of the rapporteurs and what challenges do special rapporteurs encounter in performing their responsibilities.