Mr. Forst expressed grave concerns about the increasing numbers of killings of human rights activists in conflict-prone Philippines. He also urged the Government to accept his request to visit the country to assess the situation of human rights activists in Philippines through dialogue and cooperation.
Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.