Mandate of Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions

A/HRC/RES/62/10View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2026.

What other versions does this mandate have?

2 versions · 2023–2026

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2026	A/HRC/RES/62/10	Mandate of Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions	1,328	88%Compare
2023	A/HRC/RES/53/4	Mandate of Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions	1,226	–

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Crime Prevention Extralegal Executions Right to Life Special Rapporteurs Summary Executions

What’s in this document?

22 operative paragraphs

Strongly condemns once again all extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in all their forms, that continue to take place throughout the world;

Acknowledges the importance of relevant special procedures of the Human Rights Council, in particular the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, in their key role as early warning mechanisms in preventing the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, and encourages the relevant special procedures, within their mandates, to cooperate towards this end;

Demands that all States ensure that the practice of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions is brought to an end and that they take effective action to prevent, combat and eliminate the phenomenon in all its forms;

Reiterates the obligation of all States to conduct prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigations into all suspected cases of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, exercising due diligence, in line with international standards and forensic best practices, and in this regard takes note of the Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extralegal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions,² to identify and to bring to justice those responsible, while ensuring the right of every person to a fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal established by law, to grant adequate, effective and prompt remedies, including reparation to the victims or their families and to adopt all necessary measures, including legal and judicial measures, in order to bring an end to impunity and to prevent the recurrence of such executions;

²The Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016): The Revised United Nations Manual on the Effective Prevention and Investigation of Extralegal, Arbitrary and Summary Executions (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.17.XIV.3).

Welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and notes with appreciation the thematic reports presented to the Human Rights Council during the mandate on protection of the dead³ and on the rights of families of victims of unlawful killings,⁴ and invites States to give due consideration to the conclusions and recommendations given therein;

³A/HRC/56/56.

⁴A/HRC/59/54.

Commends the important role that the Special Rapporteur plays towards eliminating extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue, within the framework of the mandate, to collect information from all concerned, to respond effectively to information that comes before him or her, to follow up on communications and country visits and to seek the views and comments of Governments and to reflect them, as appropriate, in the elaboration of reports, as well as to identify, exchange and promote best practices and offer advice on measures to prevent and investigate extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions;

Requests the Special Rapporteur, in carrying out the mandate:

To continue to examine situations of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in all circumstances and for whatever reason, and to submit the findings, together with conclusions and recommendations, to the Human Rights Council on an annual basis and to the General Assembly at its eighty-first and eighty-second sessions, and to draw the attention of the Council to serious situations of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions that warrant immediate attention or where early action might prevent further deterioration;

To continue to draw the attention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to serious situations of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions that warrant immediate attention or where early action might prevent further deterioration;

To respond effectively to information that comes before him or her, in particular when an extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution is imminent or threatened or when such an execution has occurred;

To enhance further the dialogue with Governments, and to follow up on recommendations made in reports after visits to particular countries;

To continue to monitor the implementation of existing international standards on safeguards and restrictions relating to the imposition of capital punishment, bearing in mind the comments made by the Human Rights Committee in its interpretation of article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Second Optional Protocol thereto;

To continue, upon request, to provide technical advice and capacity-building support to States and other relevant actors on the implementation of relevant international standards, including the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (2016), while continuing to contribute to the clarification, promotion and implementation of such standards relating to the protection against extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions;

To apply a gender perspective;

Urges States:

To cooperate with and assist the Special Rapporteur in the performance of his or her tasks, to supply all necessary information requested by him or her and to react appropriately and expeditiously to his or her urgent appeals, and those Governments that have not yet responded to communications transmitted to them by the Special Rapporteur to do so without further delay;

To give serious consideration to responding favourably to the Special Rapporteur’s requests to visit their countries;

To ensure appropriate follow-up to the recommendations and conclusions of the Special Rapporteur, including by providing information to the Special Rapporteur on the actions taken on those recommendations;

Welcomes the cooperation established between the Special Rapporteur and other United Nations mechanisms and procedures in the field of human rights, and encourages the Special Rapporteur to continue efforts in that regard;

Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Special Rapporteur with an adequate and stable level of the human, financial and material resources necessary to carry out the mandate effectively, including through country visits;

Decides to extend the mandate of Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions for three years;

Also decides to continue to consider this matter in conformity with its programme of work.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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