Other international options in urgent human rights cases

The Nijmegen Principles 2021 concern interim measures/provisional measures ordered by international adjudicators in urgent human rights cases. There are also other, non-adjudicatory, urgent mechanisms, such as the urgent actions by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, under art.30, which play an important role in the prevention of irreparable harm.  In addition, the UN treaty bodies have introduced specific ‘protection measures’ when responding to reprisals by States for a person’s communication with them.

Moreover, quite apart from the treaty monitoring mechanisms, UN special procedures, such as the Special Rapporteur on Torture, mandated by the Human Rights Council, can issue urgent appeals on the basis of the UN Charter.