APPLICATION DEADLINE: 20 OCTOBER 2026 AT 12:00 NOON GENEVA TIME
Applications are currently accepted for the following vacancies of mandate holders:
1. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, member from Africa
2. Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, member from North America
3. Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
4. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, member from African States*
* The appointment of this mandate holder will be made provided the mandate itself is extended by the Human Rights Council.
Candidates eligible for vacancies in Working Groups and in the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development are only nationals of States belonging to the specific regional groups for which specific vacancies have been advertised. Please refer to the list of the United Nations regional groups of Member States.
For members of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP), candidates need to represent one of the Indigenous sociocultural regions for which vacancies have been advertised. Additional information about EMRIP can be found here.
HOW TO APPLY:
The entire application process consists of two parts: (1) online survey and (2) mandate-specific application form in Word format. Both parts, including all sections of the application form, need to be completed and received by the Secretariat before the expiration of the deadline.
First part: The online survey is used to collect information for statistical and administrative purposes such as personal data (i.e., name, gender, nationality), contact details, the mandate for which the candidate is applying and, where applicable, the nominating entity. The information provided in the online survey will not be made public, with the exception of the candidate’s name, nationality and gender, which will be used in the official records of the selection process and to prepare the public list of eligible candidates.
Candidates must indicate the name by which they wish to be known and how they wish to be referred to during the selection process, in the public list of eligible candidates and in the report of the Consultative Group. The same name, gender and nationality must be used consistently in both the online survey and the Word application form.
The online survey should be filled in English or French only.
Second part: The mandate-specific application form in Word format can be downloaded from the Human Rights Council appointments web page (https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/sp/hrc64) under the relevant mandate.
The form should be completed in English or French only, saved in Word format, and submitted by email as an attachment prior to the expiration of the application deadline. Information to be provided in this form includes a motivation letter of a maximum of 600 words (section III of the form).
The application form will be used to prepare the public list of eligible candidates who applied for the vacancy and will be posted, as received, on the OHCHR public website for the relevant selection process.
Once fully completed (including Sections VII and VIII), the application form in Word format should be submitted by email to
ohchr-hrc-appointments@un.org
A maximum of three optional letters of support can be submitted, in Word or PDF format, by email by the deadline. No additional materials such as CVs, résumés or supplementary letters of support beyond the first three received will be accepted.
Candidates who submit incomplete applications or who do not complete both parts of the application process prior to the expiration of the deadline will not be taken into consideration.
Candidates are requested to consult the application guidelines, which are available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/sp/application-guidelines
General information on the selection process, including answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), is available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/sp/nominations and https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/sp/basic-information-selection-independent-experts
In case of technical difficulties, candidates may contact the Secretariat by email at ohchr-hrc-appointments@un.org.
Candidates will receive an acknowledgment by email when both parts of the application process (online survey and Word application form) have been received and reviewed by the Secretariat.
Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed at a later stage.
Thank you for your interest in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms.
