A number of other mechanisms have been developed by the UN Commission on Human Rights (since 2006, the UN Human Rights Council) to look at specific types of human rights violations wherever in the world they occur. These country-specific and thematic mechanisms include special rapporteurs, representatives and independent experts or working groups. They are created by resolution in response to situations that are considered to be of sufficient concern to require an in-depth study. The procedures report publicly to the Commission on Human Rights each year and some also report to the UN General Assembly.
The main thematic mechanisms of relevance for this manual are: the Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. A number of other thematic mechanisms also exist. The work of these bodies is not mutually exclusive and they may make either joint or separate interventions in connection with the same allegation.