How to apply:

The entire application process consists of two parts: 1. online survey and 2. application form in Word format. Both parts and all sections of the application form need to be completed and received by the Secretariat before the expiration of the deadline.

First part: online survey (https://ohchr-survey.unog.ch/index.php/858683) is used to collect information for statistical purposes such as personal data (i.e. name, gender, nationality), contact details, mandate applying for and, if appropriate, nominating entity.

Second part: application form in Word can be downloaded from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/HRC37.aspx by clicking on the mandate. It should be fully completed and saved in Word format and then submitted as an attachment by e-mail. Information provided in this form includes a motivation letter of maximum 600 words. The same name, gender and nationality should be used both in the online survey and in the Word application form. The application form should be completed in English only. It will be used as received to prepare the public list of candidates who applied for each vacancy and will also be posted as received on the OHCHR public website.

Once fully completed (including Section VII), the application form in Word should be submitted to hrcspecialprocedures@ohchr.org (by e-mail). A maximum of up to three reference letters (optional) can be attached in Word or pdf format to the e-mail prior to the expiration of the deadline. No additional documents, such as CVs, resumes, or supplementary reference letters beyond the first three received will be accepted.

Please note that for Working Group appointments, only citizens of States belonging to the specific regional group are eligible. Please refer to the list of United Nations regional groups of Member States at http://www.un.org/depts/DGACM/RegionalGroups.shtml

Application deadline: 23 January 2018 (12:00 noon GREENWICH MEAN TIME / gMT)

No incomplete or late applications will be accepted.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed at a later stage.

General description of the selection process is available at http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Nominations.aspx

In case of technical difficulties, or if encountering problems with accessing or completing the forms, you may contact the Secretariat by e-mail at hrcspecialprocedures@ohchr.org or fax at + 41 22 917 9008.

You will receive an acknowledgment e-mail when both parts of the application process, i.e. the data submitted through the online survey and the Word application form, have been received by e-mail.
Thank you for your interest in the work of the Human Rights Council.

I. PERSONAL DATA

1. Family (last) name: Hamilton	5. Year of birth: 1975
2. First (given) name: Michael	6. Place of birth: Belfast
3. Other name, if any:	7. Nationality (please indicate the nationality that will appear on the public list of candidates): UK
4. Gender: Male	8. Any other nationality: Ireland

II. MANDATE - SPECIFIC COMPETENCE / QUALIFICATIONS / KNOWLEDGE

NOTE: Please describe why the candidate’s competence / qualifications / knowledge is relevant in relation to the specific mandate:

QUALIFICATIONS (200 words)

Relevant educational qualifications or equivalent professional experience in the field of human rights; good communication skills (i.e. orally and in writing) in one of the six official languages of the United Nations (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish.)

I am a Senior Lecturer in Public Protest Law, and Director of Postgraduate Research, at the University of East Anglia Law School. Previously, I was Acting Chair of the Human Rights Programme at Central European University, and before that, Co-Director of the Transitional Justice Institute, University of Ulster.

Through these roles, I have demonstrated evidence of excellent oral and written communication skills in the English language. I have considerable experience of report writing, public speaking, and engaging with diverse audiences (including governments, policy-makers, NGOs, academics, students and the general public).

I have undergraduate and doctoral degrees in Law. My doctoral thesis focused on a human rights approach to the resolution of parade disputes in Northern Ireland - a highly contested issue that has sometimes threatened to undermine progress towards a long-term political settlement. My subsequent research has continued to explore the protection of the rights to freedom of assembly and association in multiple countries spanning different regions. This long-standing research focus has given me a deep understanding of the issues that continue to undermine the protection of these fundamental rights, and I have published widely in this field (including theoretically-grounded work, practice-oriented contributions, and high-level policy interventions).

RELEVANT EXPERTISE (200 words)

Knowledge of international human rights instruments, norms and principles. (Please state how this was acquired.)

Knowledge of institutional mandates related to the United Nations or other international or regional organizations’ work in the area of human rights. (Please state how this was acquired.)

Proven work experience in the field of human rights. (Please state years of experience.)

I have taught International Human Rights Law for 14 years (covering both regional and international mechanisms of human rights protection). I also teach courses specifically on 'Public Protest Law' and 'Freedom of Assembly' (drawing on case-law from the European, Inter-American and African systems, and from the UN Human Rights Committee). My knowledge of human rights norms is further evidenced by my co-edited volume ('Transitional Jurisprudence and the ECHR', CUP: 2011) which examined the dilemmas confronting supra-national courts in the context of political transition. A forthcoming article in the Human Rights Law Review (2018) explores the 'norm-brokering' role of regional human rights mechanisms.

My knowledge of relevant institutional mandates has been enhanced through my work with a wide range of NGOs, inter-governmental organizations and UN Special Procedures. In particular, I am a founding member, and secretrary, of the OSCE/ODIHR Panel of Experts on Freedom of Assembly and Association (2006-). I have also advised in relation to several amicus curiae interventions in freedom of assembly cases before Strasbourg (Đorđević v Serbia, with ILGA-Europe and the International Commission of Jurists, 2014; Sokiryanskaya v Russia, with EHRAC, 2013; and Majidli v Azerbaijan (no. 3) with the Litigation Project of the UN Special Rapporteur, 2015).

ESTABLISHED COMPETENCE (200 words)

Nationally, regionally or internationally recognized competence related to human rights. (Please explain how such competence was acquired.)

I have undertaken legislative support and technical assistance work for the OSCE (most recently in Ukraine, September 2016) and the European Commission (through its TAIEX programme, in Montenegro, September 2015). I have also monitored assemblies for the OSCE, and delivered training for NGOs on assembly monitoring and related international standards.

I was a member of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) Steering Group on Freedom of Assembly (2012-2015), and the EMHRN Mission to Turkey in the wake of the dispersal of protests relating to Gezi Park (July 2013). I was invited to participate in two further civil-society led initiatives - the '6 May Commission', examining the events in 2012 on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow; and the 'Committee on the Control of the Situation in Belarus', examining the response to post-election protests in Minsk in December 2010. I also organized the civil society roundtable in London for the UN Special Rapporteur's UK country visit in January 2013.

The Northern Ireland Office appointed me as Human Rights Advisor to the Strategic Review of Parading in Northern Ireland (chaired by Lord Ashdown, 2007-2009), and in 2015, I was appointed as the External Examiner for the Human Rights LLM at the University of Sussex.

PUBLICATIONS OR PUBLIC STATEMENTS

Please list significant and relevant published books, articles, journals and reports that you have written or public statements, or pronouncements that you have made or events that you may have participated in relation to the mandate.

Enter three publications in relation to the mandate for which you are applying in the order of relevance:

1. Title of publication: ‘Freedom of Protest and Assembly’ (with Helen Fenwick), Chapter 9 in 'Fenwick on Civil Liberties and Human Rights' (5th edn.), pp. 553-683

Journal/Publisher: Routledge

Date of publication: 2017

Web link, if available: https://www.routledge.com/Fenwick-on-Civil-Liberties--Human-Rights-5th-Edition/Fenwick-Edwards/p/book/9781138837935

2. Title of publication: 'Freedom of Assembly in the European Union', in 'The Right to Freedom of Assembly in the Euro-Mediterranean Region'

Journal/Publisher: Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN)

Date of publication: 2013

Web link, if available: http://euromedrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/FOA2013_EN_THE-EUROPEAN-UNION1.pdf

3. Title of publication: ‘Protecting Peaceful Protest: The OSCE/ODIHR and Freedom of Peaceful Assembly’ (with Neil Jarman)

Journal/Publisher: Journal of Human Rights Practice (Oxford University Press)

Date of publication: 2009

Web link, if available: http://jhrp.oxfordjournals.org/content/1/2/208.full.pdf+html?sid=fffbc4af-ddd2-4d98-855e-91a1f25925fb

If more than three publications, kindly summarize (200 words): As Secretary of the OSCE-ODIHR Panel, I was lead author of the OSCE/ODIHR - Venice Commission 'Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly' (2007; 2010). Other relevant publications include:

‘Practices relating to freedom of assembly in the former Soviet Union’, in 'Sharing Worst Practice', Foreign Policy Centre, 49-52 (2016) https://fpc.org.uk/freedom-assembly-former-soviet-union/

‘Processions, Protests & Other Meetings’ in Brice Dickson & Brian Gormally (eds.) Human Rights in N. Ireland (Hart: 2015);

‘Gender & the Rule of Law in Transitional Societies' (with Fionnuala Ní Aoláin) 18 Minnesota Journal of International Law 380 (2009);

'“We, the People”: Freedom of Assembly, the Rights of Others & Inclusive Constitutionalism', in András Sájo (ed.) Free to Protest (Eleven: 2008);

‘Freedom of Assembly, Consequential Harms & the Rule of Law: Liberty-limiting Principles in the Context of Transition’, 27(1) Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 75-100 (2007);

'Freedom of Assembly & Expression for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered Persons', Council of Europe Congress of Local & Regional Authorities (March 2007);

‘Deepening Democracy? Dispute System Design & the Mediation of Contested Parades in Northern Ireland’ (with Dominic Bryan) 22(1) Ohio St J on Disp Resol. 133-187 (2006);

'Parades, Protests & Policing: A Human Rights Framework' (co-author), Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (2001).

Enter three public statements or pronouncements made or events that you may have participated in relation to the mandate for which you are applying in the order of relevance:

1. Platform/occasion/event on which public statement/pronouncement made: OSCE Human Dimensions Committee, Vienna (presentation entitled: 'Towards a new OSCE Commitment on Monitoring Assemblies')

Event organizer: OSCE (Chaired by the UK Delegation to the OSCE)

Date on which public statement/pronouncement made: 6 June 2017

Web link, if available:

2. Platform/occasion/event on which public statement/pronouncement made: Seminar on Effective Measures and Best Practices to Ensure the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Peaceful Protests: co-panellist with Ms. Hina Jilani and Mr. Maina Kiai

Event organizer: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

Date on which public statement/pronouncement made: 2 December 2013

Web link, if available: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session25/Documents/A_HRC_25_32_ENG.DOC

3. Platform/occasion/event on which public statement/pronouncement made: Invited panellist, Panel discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests (Geneva)

Event organizer: OHCHR; UN Human Rights Council (18th Session)

Date on which public statement/pronouncement made: 13 September 2011

Web link, if available: http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session19/A-HRC-19-40_en.pdf

If more than three, kindly summarize (200 words):

Invited speaker (‘Civil Society in the Shadow of Law’), European Civic Academy (Brussels, October 2017);

Invited speaker ('Hate Crime & Flag Disputes'), N. Ireland Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture & Tradition (Belfast, September 2017);

School of Advanced Study (‘Protest Monitoring & Activist Scholarship’), conference on ‘Activist Scholarship in Human Rights’ (University of London, June 2017);

Invited participant, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Expert Meeting on Protest & Human Rights (Washington DC, February 2017);

Invited keynote speaker, regional seminar of the European Commission, Fundamental Rights Network of DG NEAR (FRi-Net), session on 'Freedom of Assembly' (Brussels, October 2016);

Invited panellist, 'ICNL Global Forum: Shaping Civic Space’, panel on 'Peaceful Protest' (Stockholm, May 2015);

Invited keynote speaker, conference on ‘Safeguarding the Space for Peaceful Assembly in South-East Europe’, organized by ECNL, with USAid, OSF Macedonia & Reactor (Skopje, August 2014);

Convenor of 'Governing Protest' roundtable, Law & Society Association Annual Conference (Boston, May 2013);

Invited keynote speaker, 'Protecting Protest' (with Maina Kiai), OSCE Human Dimensions Meeting (Vienna, June 2012);

Presentation to the PACE Political Affairs Committee, 'Update on developments in Belarus' (Strasbourg, April 2011) http://assembly.coe.int/CommitteeDocs/2011/Apdoc18.pdf.

flexibility/readiness and AVAILABILITY of time (200 words)

to perform effectively the functions of the mandate and to respond to its requirements, including participating in Human Rights Council (HRC) sessions in Geneva and General Assembly sessions in New York, travelling on special procedures visits, drafting reports and engaging with a variety of stakeholders. Kindly indicate whether the candidate can dedicate an estimated total of approximately three months per year to the work of a mandate.

Please note that the work of mandate holders is unpaid. Those appointed as mandate holders serve in their personal capacities. They are not United Nations staff members, they are not based in United Nations offices in Geneva or at another United Nations location, and they do not receive salary or other financial compensation, except for travel expenses and daily subsistence allowance of “experts on mission”.

My first priority, if appointed, would be to ensure that the standing and credibility of the mandate is further enhanced, and I fully appreciate the significant time commitment that this would involve.

My university post as a Senior Lecturer in Public Protest Law would offer the necessary flexibility and support to allow me to dedicate at least three months per calendar year to the work of the mandate. While I have a core set of teaching and administrative commitments, these could be scheduled so as to enable the prioritization of urgent responses, country visits and stakeholder consultations. I would also be able to dedicate the necessary time to the preparation of official reports, attending sessions of the Human Rights Council, and fulfilling related engagements.

Importantly, my University has been highly supportive of my policy work with the OSCE and non-governmental organizations over the years. It stands ready to explore how best it might provide research and/or administrative support were I to be appointed to this position.

III. Motivation Letter (600 word limit, must be included below and not in a separate e-mail or as an attachment)

The impact of this mandate has been remarkable, not only in terms of its educative and awareness-raising role, but also its development of the normative framework relating to the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. It would be an immense privilege for me to be able to continue this vital work.

Throughout my career, I have sought to support human rights defenders in their efforts to protect these rights. I am committed to promoting the rights of assembly and association globally since these inter-related rights are fundamental to the way in which society is structured, to opportunities for participation, and to the recognition of identity-based claims.

This mandate offers a uniquely important channel through which to facilitate constructive dialogue between civil society, policy makers, law enforcement and governmental officials. Were I appointed, I would be committed to working with civil society organizations, other mandate holders and human rights bodies (as appropriate) to:

- Empower civil society actors through capacity-building work, including the development of substantive training resources and innovative monitoring tools;

- Provide technical assistance and legislative support to government actors to enhance the structural protection of these rights;

- Ensure immediate responses and follow-up scrutiny through the 'Allegation Letters' and 'Urgent Appeals' procedures;

- Further strengthen the baseline norms and their domestic implementation, including through strategic litigation and by working together with civil society organizations, and regional and inter-governmental bodies.

In many countries, it remains crucial to maintain an emphasis on the core and well-established safeguards relating to the rights to assemble and associate. In other countries, however, the authorities have responded in new, sometimes subtle, ways that inhibit or discourage particular forms of collective action. If appointed, I would seek to ensure that the selection of country visits - and efforts to secure standing invitations - reflected the spectrum of practices that endanger the enjoyment of these rights, as well as being geographically balanced.

There are also a number of thematic issues that I believe have particular currency, including:

- emerging understandings of 'civic space' and the interconnections between assembly and association (noting the myriad forms of organization and civic engagement that ought to be protected and facilitated);

- the profound impact of emerging media technologies on the ways in which groups create, reach and interact with their audiences, with implications for the scope of the rights to assemble and associate, and for the concept of an 'enabling environment';

- the acute risks to freedom of assembly and association arising from anti-terrorism legislation, not least in relation to the ability of non-profit organizations to solicit, receive and utilize resources;

- the increasing reliance by some State authorities on preventive tactics of surveillance and control, onerous registration and reporting obligations, and disproportionate sanctions;

- the need for procedural safeguards where 'informal' processes of dialogue or negotiation are encouraged between the authorities and those seeking to exercise their rights;

- the deeply contextual challenges relating to the protection of assemblies and associations in countries undergoing transition, including the gendered aspects of the exercise of these rights.

Over the course of my professional life, I have been able to gain the trust and respect of the different stakeholders with whom I have worked. Given my in-depth knowledge of the applicable human rights standards, and my understanding of the obstacles that commonly prevent their realization, I believe I could successfully fulfil the expectations of this important mandate. If granted the honour of serving the Human Rights Council through this mechanism, I would do my utmost to work with, and on behalf of, those whose freedoms are most at risk.

IV. LANGUAGES (READ / WRITTEN / SPOKEN)

Please indicate all language skills below.

1. Mother tongue: English

2. Knowledge of the official languages of the United Nations:

Arabic: Yes or no: No If yes,

Read: Easily or Not easily:
Write: Easily or Not easily:
Speak: Easily or Not easily:

Chinese: Yes or no: No If yes,

Read: Easily or not easily:
Write: Easily or not easily:
Speak: Easily or not easily:

English: Yes or no: Yes If yes,

Read: Easily or not easily: Easily
Write: Easily or not easily: Easily
Speak: Easily or not easily: Easily

French: Yes or no: Yes If yes,

Read: Easily or not easily: Not easily
Write: Easily or not easily: Not easily
Speak: Easily or not easily: Not easily

Russian: Yes or no: No If yes,

Read: Easily or not easily:
Write: Easily or not easily:
Speak: Easily or not easily:

Spanish: Yes or no: If yes,

Read: Easily or not easily:
Write: Easily or not easily:
Speak: Easily or not easily:

V. EDUCATIONAL RECORD

NOTE: Please list the candidate’s academic qualifications (university level and higher, indicating type of degree, subject, and whether full or part-time, ex. Masters in law, University of xxx, part-time).

Name of degree and name of academic institution, full or part-time:	Years of attendance (provide a range from-to, for example 1999-2003):	Place and country:
PhD, School of Law, University of Ulster (full-time). Thesis entitled: 'Rights, Relationships and the Struggle for Recognition: Parade Disputes and Public Order Law in Northern Ireland'. (External examiner: Sir Peter North QC)	1998-2003	Belfast, Northern Ireland
MA in Irish Studies, Queen's University Belfast (full-time)	1997-1998	Belfast, Northern Ireland
LLB (First Class Honours), University of Kent (full-time)	1994-1997	Canterbury, England

VI. EMPLOYMENT RECORD

NOTE: Please briefly list ALL RELEVANT professional positions held in the area of human rights, beginning with your current occupation. Also indicate whether positions held were not full-time.

Name of employer, functional title, main functions of position, full or part-time:	Years of work (provide a range from-to, for example 1999-2005):	Place and country:
OSCE/ODIHR Secretary and Member of the Panel of Experts on Freedom of Assembly (and Association, from 2018). Pro bono, part-time. - Lead author of the first and second editions of the OSCE/ODIHR - Venice Commission 'Guidelines on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly' (2007; 2010). Third edition forthcoming, 2018; - Contributing to opinions on draft legislation.	2006 to date	Warsaw, Poland
University of East Anglia (UEA) Law School Senior Lecturer in Public Protest Law (full-time); Post-Graduate Research Director; Member of Law School Executive. Undertaking research and supervising doctoral students; Postgraduate Teaching (LLM): - Public Protest Law; - Issues in Free Speech; Undergraduate Teaching (LLB): - Constitutional Law; - International Human Rights Law.	2012 to date 2014-	Norwich, England
Central European University (Department of Legal Studies) Visiting Professor (part-time, course on 'Freedom of Assembly'); Acting Chair of the Human Rights programme; Associate Professor (full-time); Undertaking research and supervising doctoral students; Postgraduate Teaching (MA/LLM): - Comparative Freedom of Speech; - Freedom of Assembly; - Critical Perspectives on Human Rights; - Transitional Justice; - Police Practices; - Introduction to Human Rights; - Civil Liberties in the UK.	2012 to date 2011 - 2012 2009 - 2012	Budapest, Hungary
Transitional Justice Institute, University of Ulster Co-Director; Course Director, LLM in Human Rights Law; Lecturer and Senior Lecturer (full-time); Undertaking research and supervising doctoral students; Postgraduate Teaching (LLM): - Foundations of Transitional Justice; - Foundations of International Human Rights Law; - Advanced Human Rights Law; - Criminal Justice, Human Rights and Law Enforcement; Undergraduate Teaching (LLB): - Public International Law and Ethnic Conflict; - Learning Legal Skills; - Criminal Law.	2008-2009 2007-2009 2004-2009	Belfast, Northern Ireland

VII. COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICS AND INTEGRITY PROVISIONS
(of Human Rights Council resolution 5/1)
To be completed by the candidate or by the nominating entity on the candidate’s behalf.

1. To your knowledge, does the candidate have any official, professional, personal, or financial relationships that might cause the candidate to limit the extent of inquiries, to limit disclosure, or to weaken or slant findings in any way? If yes, please explain.

No.

2. Are there any factors that could either directly or indirectly influence, pressure, threaten, or otherwise affect the candidate’s ability to act independently in discharging the mandate? If yes, please explain:

No.

3. Is there any reason, currently or in the past, that could call into question the candidate’s moral authority and credibility or does the candidate hold any views or opinions that could prejudice the manner in which the candidate discharges the mandate? If yes, please explain:

No.

4. Does the candidate comply with the provisions in paragraph 44 and 46 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1? (Please answer YES if the candidate complies, NO if the candidate does not comply, together with an explanation.)

Para. 44: The principle of non-accumulation of human rights functions at a time shall be respected.

Para. 46: Individuals holding decision-making positions in Government or in any other organization or entity which may give rise to a conflict of interest with the responsibilities inherent to the mandate shall be excluded. Mandate holders will act in their personal capacity.

If appointed, I would take whatever steps might be necessary to ensure compliance with the provisions of Resolution 5/1.

5. Should the candidate be appointed as a mandate holder, the candidate will have to take measures to comply with paragraphs 44 and 46 of the annex to Council resolution 5/1. In the event that the current occupation or activity, even if unpaid, of the candidate may give rise to a conflict of interest (e.g. if a candidate holds a decision-making position in Government) and/or there is an accumulation of human rights functions (e.g. as a member of another human rights mechanism at the international, regional or national level), necessary measures could include relinquishing positions, occupations or activities. If applicable, please indicate the measures the candidate will take.

If appointed, I would relinquish my position as a member and secretary of the OSCE/ODIHR Panel of Experts on Freedom of Assembly.

VIII. CERTIFY AND SUBMIT APPLICATION
To be completed by the candidate or by the nominating entity on the candidate’s behalf.

I hereby certify that all of the statements made in this application are true, complete and are made in good faith. I understand that falsifying or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for not being selected or appointed or the withdrawal of any proposed appointment or, if an appointment has been made and accepted, for its immediate cancellation or termination.
Kindly note that whilst no changes can be made after this application form has been submitted and the deadline for applications has expired, any relevant change of current occupation, employment, or position, or any other relevant fact or circumstance should be brought to the attention of the secretariat by
e-mail (hrcspecialprocedures@ohchr.org).

Please review your application before you insert your name and date to indicate your agreement.

Name: Michael Hamilton

Date: 22 January 2018

****