Review of the Rapporteur’s Activities in 2013 – Newsletter #42

In 2013, the Rapporteur Raquel Rolnik presented four reports to the UN Human Rights Council, and one to the General Assembly. She also conducted official missions to two countries, Indonesia and United Kingdom, and worked all along the year on the Security of Tenure Project. Furthermore, the Rapporteur sent official communications to 19 countries, and participated in several events on adequate housing. Check it out below.

www.righttohousing.org

* Reports Presented
In March 2013, the Rapporteur presented to the UN Human Rights Council the final reports of 2012 missions to Rwanda and to Israel and Palestine. She also presented the report on the World Bank, and her first report on Security of Tenure. In October, she presented at UN General Assembly her thematic report on rental policies and collective and cooperative arrangements.

* Missions Accomplished
Between May 30th and June 11th, the Rapporteur went on an official mission to Indonesia. Click here to read her preliminary findings, presented at the end of the visit. On the second semester, between August 29th and September 11th, she visited the United Kingdom. Read her preliminary findings. The full reports on these missions will be presented in March 10th to the UN Human Rights Council.

* Sent and Received Communications
In 2013, the Rapporteur sent official communications to the governments of 12 countries, and received replies from 11. Click here to read the 1st semester report. Click here to read the 2nd semester report.

* Security of Tenure
This was the theme developed by the Rapporteur in 2013. Along the year, many live consultations about the theme were organized, and several contributions came in through the internet. Moreover, a questionnaire was sent to governments, resulting in 31 replies. Initiated in 2012, the Security of Tenure Project will be concluded in 2014 with the presentation of the final report to the Human Rights Council in March 10th. Such report will also include guiding principles on the subject. For more information, please access the project page.

* Events
In April, the rapporteur Raquel Rolnik attended the Civil Society Policy Forum in Washington, DC, an event of the World Bank Spring Meeting. In June, she attended a colloquium promoted by the European Federation of Public, Cooperative & Social Housing (Cecodhas), in Leuven, and a debate promoted by the European Economic and Social Comittee about social housing in the European Union, in Brussels. Know more. The rapporteur also met representatives of the European Investment Bank, which is reviewing its social safeguard policies. Furthermore, throughout the year, the rapporteur attended several activities discussing the impact of the preparation of Brazil to the 2014 World Cup in the right to housing.

* Note: The list of candidates to the next mandate as UN Special Rapporteur for the Right to Adequate Housing is already available at the site of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.