Renewal of mandate of UN Special Rapporteur

The UN Human Rights Council has renewed Alice Cruz’s mandate as UN Special Rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members, for a further three years. ILEP has been active in support, and we appreciate very much the leadership of the Japanese Permanent Mission in Geneva in sponsoring the extension.

The 3-year mandate now includes reporting to the UN General Assembly, as well as to the Human Rights Council. This is a significant step forward, reaching a wider audience of political leaders and policy makers for messages and reports about discrimination and denial of rights of persons affected by leprosy.

Ms Cruz’s most recent report includes a policy framework to help countries develop rights-based action plans for eliminating discrimination on the grounds of leprosy. This builds on the Principles and Guidelines for the elimination of discrimination against persons affected by leprosy and their family members which were adopted by the UN a decade ago. The policy framework is designed to be implemented within already existing national human rights policies and programmes. There is concrete guidance on four main areas: adequate standard of living, non-discrimination and inclusion in the community, elimination of stereotypes, and empowerment with a focus on vulnerable groups.

ILEP values the empowering effect Alice Cruz’s mandate has had on persons affected by leprosy and their family members, and the organisations that represent them. We look forward to working with her in increasing cooperation over the coming years.