Towards a Renewed Special Procedures Mandate on Corruption and Human Rights

In 2003, the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights created the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Corruption and Human Rights. This mandate was not subject to extensive analysis at the time, and eventually ceased to function with the transition from the Commission on Human Rights to the Human Rights Council in 2006. However, in recent years, discussions about the links between corruption and human rights have emerged. This raises the question of whether the Special Procedures mandate on Corruption and Human Rights should be renewed, considering what themes and priorities it should focus on. This research examines the work of the previous Special Rapporteur on Corruption and Human Rights, in particular four produced reports. It then considers the extent to which other Special Procedures mandates have addressed corruption, focussing on particular mandates that have done so in detail. Additionally, it discusses corruption as one of the funding problems within the Special Procedures mechanism itself, indicating a concern that requires actions. Finally, the research considers a renewed mandate’s potential contribution to the promotion of connections between corruption and human rights. It emphasises that the mandate would assist in the protection of rights affected by corruption, and engender cooperation within the mechanism between anti-corruption and human rights bodies and organisations in the fight against corruption. The research provides proof of the essential integration of a human rights-based approach to corruption into the work of the UN, which would be strengthened through the renewal of this critical mandate.