UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food

Within the United Nations framework, special rapporteurships have been established to enhance protection mechanisms for certain human rights of significant international importance and to identify challenges in their implementation. The Special Rapporteurship on the Right to Food was established on April 17, 2000, by Resolution 2000/10 of the UN Commission on Human Rights.

Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food present annual thematic reports to the Human Rights Council. These reports address various aspects of the right to food, including food crises, pesticides, armed conflicts, gender inequality, climate change, World Trade Organization agreements, agroecology, fisheries, land ownership, biofuels, food sovereignty, and seed policies. In addition to providing detailed analyses of prominent and contemporary issues related to hunger and malnutrition, these reports serve to bring such issues to the attention of the international community.

Another critical role of Special Rapporteurs is to act as a driving force for ensuring the right to food in the countries they visit. Through consultations with national authorities and civil society organizations, they identify issues, propose solutions, and encourage the inclusion of the right to food in national legislation. Alongside thematic reports, they also submit reports on their country visits.

Despite not having a judicial or quasi-judicial nature, Special Rapporteurs on the Right to Food play a vital role in highlighting widespread and severe violations of the right to food on the international stage. Reporting violations to the Special Rapporteur, whether through urgent appeals or allegation letters, is crucial for bringing these issues to the UN’s agenda. This process creates international pressure on the violating state and mobilizes UN bodies to provide humanitarian aid to those in need.

Below is a list of thematic reports presented by the Rapporteurs since 2001, translated by our organization.

The complete translations of these reports can be accessed in the e-book titled "Thematic Reports of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food (2001-2022)."