UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories — Human Rights Council mandate

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 is an independent expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. The mandate, which derives from a 1993 resolution of the UN Commission on Human Rights, tasks the rapporteur with investigating Israel’s violations of the principles and bases of international law, international humanitarian law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, and with reporting conclusions and recommendations until the end of the Israeli occupation.

The Special Rapporteur assesses the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, reports publicly on it, and works with governments, civil society, and others to foster international cooperation, reporting annually to the Human Rights Council. Francesca Albanese has held the mandate since 1 May 2022, following S. Michael Lynk (2016–2022), Richard Falk (2008–2014), John Dugard (2001–2008), and earlier mandate holders going back to 1993. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides the mandate holder with logistical and technical assistance.

Why it matters

• The UN’s dedicated expert mechanism on the occupied Palestinian territory, producing a continuous public record of documented violations since 1993.
• The rapporteur’s reports apply international humanitarian and human rights law to concrete practices — settlements, siege, detention, forced displacement — and are widely cited by courts, advocates, and researchers.
• Mandate holders act independently of governments, and their findings carry the institutional weight of the UN Human Rights Council.

Key resources

• Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967