New Publication: Special Procedures from the Feminist Perspective

The UN’s foundational human rights architecture is facing an existential crisis driven by coordinated anti-gender backlash, systemic defunding, and severe institutional drift. Published by Brot für die Welt and the Feminist Diplomacy Lab, our new strategic advocacy brief evaluates these vulnerabilities through an intersectional feminist lens and offers a roadmap for member states and donors to protect the UN Special Procedures.

The publication was launched at the "Gender, Human Rights and UN80” side event at the margins of the UN Human Rights Council 63rd session, on September 9, 2026. The side event was co-sponsored by Brot für die Welt, Feminist Diplomacy Lab, AWID and the Office of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development.

While unpacking the threats Special Procedures face in today's multilateral ecosystem, the publication provides recommendations for member states to protect this critical human rights mechanism. To safeguard this essential global ecosystem, member and donor states must immediately increase multi-year, unearmarked voluntary contributions to insulate independent mandates from politicised funding blockades. States must aggressively enforce transparent selection criteria via the Consultative Group, explicitly prioritizing mandate holders committed to intersectionality and human rights. To ensure local voices reach the global stage, donors must shift toward providing long-term, flexible institutional funding for grassroots organizations, while easing visa restrictions and providing holistic security support so human rights defenders can safely engage with international mechanisms.

You can read this new publication here.