The Special Rapporteur receives complaints about alleged violations related to the right to adequate housing. After receiving those informations, the Rapporteur contacts the government of the country involved.
There is no specific format for presenting a case of right to adequate housing violations to the Special Rapporteur. Complaints must be as clear and objective as possible, and identify:
• Who the perpetrators are: That is, those responsible for the violation; in the case of public entities or authorities, indicate the specific body, level of government where they work, how many they are, their positions or names (if known), if they were wearing uniforms, etc.
• Date, place and detailed description of the circumstances in which the violation took place: The number of evictions that have already occurred, the number of affected people, identification of the affected community, motivation, what happened to the people, if there were lawsuits before or after the removal, if new removals are expected, and if so, where and when
• Identification of the organization or people that are presenting the complaint: When the Rapporteur contacts the government, as a rule, the source of the information is kept confidential; the organization/individual may also indicate which information contained in the complaint s/he would like to be kept in confidentiality
• Measures taken by the authorities: Have the country’s authorities already received the complaint? Which authorities are involved? What measures have been taken?
• Updates: send any new information that arises on the case as soon as possible, as well as notes on any new events related to the case.
Formal complaints must be sent to the Special Rapporteur in the care of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva:
E-mail: urgent-action@ohchr.org
Fax: +41 22 917 90 06
Regular mail: OHCHR-UNOG 8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland