Michel Forst

Michel Forst is the current United Nations Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. He is also the Secretary general of the French national human rights institution.

Career

After graduating in language, theology and health studies, Michel Forst started his career teaching German. Then, he started as director of social healthcare institutions in the field of childcare, the elderly and those in extreme-poverty.

He became the executive director of Amnesty International-France in 1989, where he remained for ten years. During this period, he was involved in many human rights projects, in particular in the organisation of the first summit on human rights defenders in Paris in 1998.^[1] This event was held as the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.^[2]

In 1999, he became the executive director of La Ligue contre le cancer (The French league against cancer). He stayed in this organisation until 2001 when he started at the UNESCO as chief of states in the field of social sciences and humanities.^[3] He became secretary general of Cimade in 2003, a French organisation specialized in helping migrants and asylum seekers. He left the structure in 2005 to become the Secretary general of the French national human rights institution.^[4] Michel Forst is also a funding member of Front Line Defenders, an Irish non governmental organisation based in Dublin and a former member of the Board of the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR).

United Nations

In 2008, Michel Forst was appointed independent expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti. He resigned from this position in 2013 before the end of his mandate.^[5]

From 2012 to 2013, he was the Chair of the Coordination Committee of the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.^[6]

He became in June 2014 the United Nations Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.^[7] This mandate was created by the then United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 2000.^[8] Part of his mandate is to promote the Declaration on human rights defenders. His main mission as an independent expert is to inform on the risks and threats human rights defenders face on the ground.^[9] He also makes recommendations so as to better protect human rights defenders. He undertakes country visits, regularly presents reports to the Human rights Council and to the United Nations General Assembly. He can also take up individual cases of concern. He carries out his mission in cooperation with States, international structures and civil society organizations.^[10]

References

1. "Information on Human Rights Defenders' Summit, Paris, December 1998: Summary". Amnesty International. Amnesty International. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
2. "Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders". UNHR. UNHR. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
3. "Michel Forst bio". Universal Declaration at 60. UN. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
4. Djian, Stéphanie. "European group of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights Newsletter #1" (PDF). NHRI. NHRI. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
5. Britell, Alexander. "Michel Forst, UN Human Rights Expert in Haiti, Tenders Resignation". Caribbean Journal. Caribbean Journal. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
6. Forst, Michel. "Statement by the Chair of the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures, Mr. Michel Forst, on behalf of all Special Procedures mandate holders at the High-level panel on human rights mainstreaming at the twenty-second session of the Human Rights Council". UNHR. UNHR. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
7. "Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Haiti". UNHR. UNHR. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
8. "Ten years on, human rights defenders continue to pay a high price". UNHR. UNHR. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
9. "Mandate". UNHR. UNHR. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
10. https://www.protecting-defenders.org/en/content/methods-work

External links

• United Nations Special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
• Amnesty International
• Front Line Defenders