Procedures and Mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, composed of 53 States, meets each year in regular session in March/April for six weeks in Geneva. Over 3,000 delegates from member and observer States and from non-governmental organizations participate.

The Commission can also meet exceptionally between its regular sessions in special session, provided that a majority of States members of the Commission so agree, mindful of the need for the Commission on Human Rights to deal with urgent and acute human rights situations in the most expeditious way.

During its regular annual session, the Commission adopts about a hundred resolutions, decisions and Chairperson's statements on matters of relevance to individuals in all regions and circumstances. It is assisted in this work by the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, a number of working groups and a network of individual experts, representatives and rapporteurs mandated to report to it on specific issues.

Commission on Human Rights procedures and mechanisms are mandated to examine, monitor and publicly report either on human rights situations in specific countries or territories (known as country mechanisms or mandates) or on major phenomena of human rights violations worldwide (known as thematic mechanisms or mandates). These procedures and mechanisms are collectively referred to as the Special Procedures of the Commission on Human Rights.

Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture: The Special Rapporteur on torture was established by mandate in 1985. There have been three holders of the post to date: Pieter Kooijmans, Netherlands (1985-1993); Nigel Rodley, United Kingdom (1993-2001); and Theo van Boven, Netherlands (2001- ). The Special Rapporteur's remit is to provide the Commission with information on State parties' legislative and administrative actions in relation to torture, and the extent to which State parties are, or are not, fulfilling their duties under the Convention. Annual and Interim Reports are prepared based on information gathered in the field and by correspondence with governments.

Information on torture should be transmitted to the Special Rapporteur in written form and sent c/o Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Office at Geneva, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland; E-mail: urgent-action@ohchr.org. Although it is important to provide as much detail as possible, the lack of a comprehensive accounting should not necessarily preclude the submission of reports.