ABSTRACT
UN Special Rapporteurs are an integral part of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. There are two types of mandates: country mandates and thematic mandates. Special Rapporteurs are independent human rights experts with mandates to report and advise. Special Rapporteurs and other mandate-holders enjoy full independence and carry out their mandate according to the fundamental principles of ethics and integrity. The primary source of mandate-holders' duties and obligations is the Code of Conduct for Special Procedures mandate-holders, adopted by the Human Rights Council in 2007 as an integral part of the review, improvement, and rationalisation called for in General Assembly Resolution 60/251 that, inter alia, seeks to enhance the co-operation between governments and mandate-holders, which is acknowledged as essential for the effective functioning of the system. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, was first established in 2004.
