UN reiterates independence of human-rights mandate-holders and stresses free expression amid US visa revocations

When asked about criticism that the UN did not back a particular special rapporteur, the UN spokesperson, Spokesperson of the United Nations Secretariat, said the UN “fully support[s] that architecture” of special rapporteurs and reiterated that special rapporteurs are independent from the secretary-general and from the Secretariat. He said that if member states are unhappy with appointments, they should take the matter up with other member states and the Human Rights Council that created the mechanism.

On a question about recent visa revocations for foreign students in the United States — cited by a journalist who named a doctoral student at Tufts University facing deportation over a pro-Palestinian opinion piece — the spokesperson said he could not predict what would happen but affirmed that the UN “firmly stand[s] in the rights of people all over the world…to be able to speak freely, peacefully without fear of retribution, harassment, arrest, or worse.” He added that every country has the right to manage its borders but said such measures should respect people’s rights and dignity.

On a separate question about reported plans for returns of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar, the spokesperson said he would check with UNHCR and IOM colleagues and noted that any return must be safe, dignified and, most importantly, voluntary. He did not confirm whether returns had been registered.

The briefing therefore reiterated the UN’s formal position on both the institutional independence of mandate-holders in the human-rights system and the organisation’s support for peaceful free expression, while noting the limits of UN authority over member-state border decisions and saying it would seek further information on reports of returns.