Speaking like an expert: UN special rapporteurs as spokespersons of the universal

How does someone become mandated to speak as an expert on behalf of ‘the universal’? This paper examines the position of the UN special rapporteur, described as “the eyes and ears” of the UN international human rights architecture. I will analyse the relationship between this independent expert, the Secretary-General and states in order to locate special rapporteurs in a broader field of struggle to speak ‘independently’.  Through this international political sociology of UN special rapporteurs, I contribute to debates on international authority and expertise by offering a relational account of how experts become authorised to speak on ‘the universal’, such as human rights issues. Specifically, I explore the UN special rapporteurs as a new type of international civil servant, unlike diplomats or official representatives of international organisations in permanent positions, who are entrusted with similar privileges and immunities in their temporary positions. This paper uses 15 in-depth biographical interviews with current and former special rapporteurs and a biographical analysis of over 120 current and former mandate holders since the inception of the system in 1978 to theorise their day-to-day practices and strategies of embodiment of various voices, gaining access to difficult sites and constructing legal knowledge.