12.1.2 THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) has a general mandate to promote and protect all human rights. The UNHCHR may intervene with governments from time to time with regard to individual complaints of human rights violations. In general, however, individual complaints of human rights violations directed to the UNHCHR, or to the United Nations in general, will be funnelled to the Working Group on Communications of the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights, under a confidential procedure created by Resolution 1503 of the UN’s Economic and Social Council. The Sub-Commission does not treat individual complaints individually, but if it considers that the individual complaints constitute a consistent pattern of gross and massive violations of human rights, it may recommend action by the UN Commission on Human Rights. 12.1.3 UN SPECIAL PROCEDURES The UN Commission on Human Rights has established a number of special procedures to encourage implementation of various human rights. The procedures include special rapporteurs or special representatives of the UN Secretary-General, and working groups. Each special procedure centres on a specific right or set of rights or on a specific country. Special rapporteurs have been appointed for some OSCE countries. Many of the special procedures accept and follow up with governments on individual complaints. Some make “urgent appeals” to governments, for example, if an arbitrary execution may be imminent. The special procedures, however, do not have any enforcement powers. Some of the current thematic special procedures56 that may consider raising individual complaints include:        The Special Rapporteur on Summary, Arbitrary, or Extrajudicial Executions; The Special Rapporteur on Torture; The Special Rapporteur on Religious Freedom; The Special Rapporteur on Racism; The Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women; The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; The Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders. 56 Further information about these procedures is available on the UNHCHR website at http://www.unhchr.ch. 105 12