Closure of Mandate 'Must Never Be Confused with Resolution of Human Rights Violations’, Third Committee Hears, as Experts Warn of Discrimination, Barriers to Health, Justice

Closure of Mandate 'Must Never Be Confused with Resolution of Human Rights Violations', Third Committee Hears, as Experts Warn of Discrimination, Barriers to Health, Justice

The discontinuation of a United Nations human rights mandate risks leaving victims of discrimination without an international voice, experts warned the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, exposing violence against persons with albinism, barriers to health justice and the denial of dignity to the dead.

Leprosy Discrimination Persists as UN Human Rights Mandate Ends, Expert Warns

Addressing the Committee for the final time, Beatriz Miranda Galarza, Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy (Hansen's disease) and their family members, voiced concern over the discontinuation of her mandate despite persistent discrimination and unresolved historical injustices.

"To my knowledge, this marks an unprecedented step in the history of the United Nations Special Procedure System - the discontinuation of a thematic mandate", she said.

"My concern is not simply the end of one mandate within the system. It is what may be lost with it", she warned, citing nine years of institutional memory and progress in recognizing persons affected by leprosy as "rights holders, experts and agents of change".

A medical cure does not restore rights or repair historical harm, she said, noting that discrimination, poverty and social exclusion continue to undermine the lives of affected persons and their families.

"The closure of a mandate must never be confused with the resolution of the human rights violations that made it necessary", she declared. Declining international funding, diminishing technical expertise and reduced support for affected communities threaten to reverse hard-won gains, she cautioned. Urging continued international engagement, she emphasized that "decisions made within the United Nations have consequences beyond [its] walls".

Persons with Albinism Face Violence, Isolation and Online Abuse

Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, warned of the profound psychological consequences of colour-based discrimination.

"Colour-based discrimination is an old historical stain on social interactions with extreme forms institutionalized in slavery and colonial social settings", she said.

Unlike conventional colourism, which generally privileges lighter complexions, persons with albinism - due to their lack of melanin - can face hostility precisely because their appearance is markedly lighter than that of others in their communities.

In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, such discrimination has manifested in physical abuse, mutilations and killings, she reported. Yet, the problem extends far beyond the region.

In the United Kingdom, one person described being insulted from a passing car and excluded socially because others considered her appearance "weird".

Such experiences have far-reaching consequences for education, employment, social participation and mental health. Interviewees reported low self-esteem, anxiety and suicidal ideation, with some withdrawing from society to protect themselves from further abuse.

One respondent from West Asia described how "suffocating isolation was the only means I resorted to in order to protect myself from further harm and collapse".

Digital platforms are compounding the problem, she cautioned. Persons with albinism are frequently portrayed as evil or possessing supernatural powers, while social media content sometimes turns their appearance into an object of ridicule or even highlights the monetary value of their body parts. "The abuse and misuse of multimedia outlets can equally drive colour-based discrimination against persons with albinism", she stated.

'Justice Is a Precondition for Health'

Turning to the right to health, Mariângela Simão, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, emphasized that access to justice is indispensable to realizing that right.

"Justice is not external to health. Justice is a precondition for health", she declared, stressing that the right to health is "not aspirational".

Individuals must have access to independent authorities empowered to determine violations and order remedies, she said. Courts and accountability mechanisms have become essential tools for enforcing the right to health, ensuring that Governments do not postpone action on their obligations.

"Legal remedies for health rights violations can be a transformative driver for substantive equality", she said, calling for constitutional recognition of the right to health and the empowerment of communities through participatory governance.

She also condemned United States sanctions against the International Criminal Court, its judges and Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

During the ensuing dialogue, Namibia's delegate, speaking for the African Group, warned that mpox, hantavirus and the Ebola Bundibugyo emergency exposed persistent weaknesses in global health systems. Cuba reported that over 100,000 patients, including 12,000 children, were awaiting surgery, blaming the United States blockade, intensified by its "oil siege".

Israel's representative described a profound mental health crisis following the 7 October attacks and subsequent hostilities, while Iran's delegate stressed that military attacks by the United States and Israel in February destroyed 245 healthcare units, 70 hospitals and 69 ambulances.

Brazil's speaker emphasized the impact of poverty and social exclusion on health, while the European Union, in its capacity as observer, underscored the importance of legal remedies and non-discrimination.

Funeral Rites Must Be Respected, Even amid Conflict and Crisis

Nazila Ghanea, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, warned that funeral rites are too often disregarded or denied, particularly during armed conflict, occupation, deaths in custody and climate disasters.

"Even amid hostilities or large-scale casualties […] the dead must be treated with respect, and families afforded dignity and information", she said.

Emergency circumstances do not suspend States' obligations to respect freedom of religion or belief, she emphasized, adding that limitations on funeral rites remain subject to legality and non-discrimination.

"The right to honour the dead is inseparable from the return of remains", she stressed, underscoring States' obligations, particularly where deaths involve concealment or coercion. Memorialization must be integral to truth, accountability and remedy, she added.

"Funeral rites deserve our utmost attention, as there are few experiences more painful than loss and grief", she said, stressing that such rites must be upheld to the greatest extent possible, even in exceptional circumstances.

'If the Ocean Economy Were a Country, It Would Rank as the Fifth Largest Economy'

Attiya Waris, independent expert on foreign debt and human rights, warned that existing maritime structures allow private actors to retain profits from the high seas while States and communities bear the costs. "If the ocean economy were a country, it would rank as the fifth largest economy in the world", she noted.

Although the high seas comprise 64 per cent of the ocean surface and are beyond State sovereignty, developing countries often lack the capital, technology and infrastructure needed to benefit from maritime activities. "Legal freedom does not guarantee an equal capacity to benefit", she observed.

Deep seabed mining illustrates the imbalance, she said, citing a proposed payment regime under which approximately 70 per cent of project proceeds would accrue to companies, 24 per cent to sponsoring States and just 6 per cent to the International Seabed Authority.

Warning that opaque ownership structures, flags of convenience and illicit financial flows allow profits to escape effective taxation and oversight, she urged stronger international fiscal rules and a fund financed through maritime levies and seabed royalties. "The fund should support human rights, sustainable development and marine protection", she said.

Also addressing the Committee today was Zeina Jallad, Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights.