Vitit Muntarbhorn
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Vitit_Muntarbhorn_%282011%29.jpg)
1991–1994
March 2021
Vitit Muntarbhorn (born 1952) (Thai: วิทิต มันตาภรณ์, RTGS: Withit Mantaphon) is an international human rights expert and professor of law at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.[1][2] Muntarbhorn was designated in September 2016 as the first UN Independent Expert on violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity by the Human Rights Council before succeeded by Victor Madrigal-Borloz in 2018.
Biography
Muntarbhorn, born in November 1952, was educated at Oxford and Free University of Brussels, and was called to the Bar in England before going on to lecture in law at various universities in Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Switzerland and Thailand. He served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography from 1990–1994. In 1994, he coedited with C. Taylor a paper on human rights in Thailand.[3] In 2004, he was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education.[2][4]
Muntarbhorn was nominated to the position of United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) in 2004.[1] His term ended in June 2010. During his six years of service, North Korea repeatedly rejected his requests for meetings.[5]
Muntarbhorn remains involved in various UN activities, principally as a member of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations of the International Labour Organization, and has served as an expert or consultant with the OHCHR, UNHCR, UNDP, FAO, UNICEF, UNESCO, the WHO and the United Nations University.[2] He was involved in the elaboration of the Yogyakarta Principles on LGBT rights.
In 2018, he was recipient of the Bonham Centre Award from the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies.[6] He also was appointed an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[7]
Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia in March 2021.[8]
References
- ^ a b Profiles of our Distinguished Academic Members, Chulalongkorn University, 2009, retrieved 2010-01-21
- ^ a b c Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn (Thailand), ILO biographical note (PDF), ILO, 2009, retrieved 2011-10-02
- ^ Vitit Mintarbhorn, Taylor, C: Road to Democracy: Human Rights and Human Devepolment in Thailand, 1994
- ^ Vitit Muntarbhorn wins the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education, UNESCO, 2004-12-11, archived from the original on 2005-03-24, retrieved 2010-01-21
- ^ Yoo, Jee-ho (2010-01-16), "UN official on Pyongyang leaving empty-handed", Joongang Ilbo, retrieved 2010-01-21
- ^ "Bonham Centre Awards Gala 2018". Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
- ^ "Honorary British Awards to Foreign Nationals – 2018". 6 February 2019.
- ^ "OHCHR | Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Cambodia".
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& territories
Belarus (Anaïs Marin)
Burundi (Fortuné Gaetan Zongo)
Cambodia (Vitit Muntarbhorn)
Iran (Javaid Rehman)
Myanmar (Tom Andrews)
North Korea (Elizabeth Salmón)
Palestine (Francesca Albanese)
Russian Federation (Mariana Katzarova)
Somalia (Isha Dyfan)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Emblem_of_the_United_Nations.svg/50px-Emblem_of_the_United_Nations.svg.png)
Thematic mandates
- Adequate Housing (Balakrishnan Rajagopal)
- Albinism (Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond)
- Assembly and association (Gina Romero)
- Climate Change (Elisa Morgera)
- Contemporary Forms of Slavery (Tomoya Obokata)
- Cultural Rights (Alexandra Xanthaki)
- Democratic and Equitable International Order (Livingstone Sewanyana)
- Disabilities (Heba Hagrass)
- Education (Farida Shaheed)
- Effects of Economic Reform Policies and Foreign Debt on Human Rights (Attiya Waris)
- Environment (Astrid Puentes Riaño)
- Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions (Morris Tidball-Binz)
- Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association (Clément Nyaletsossi Voule)
- Freedom of Opinion and Expression (Irene Khan)
- Freedom of Religion or Belief (Nazila Ghanea)
- Human Rights Defenders (Mary Lawlor)
- Independence of Judges and Lawyers (Margaret Satterthwaite)
- Indigenous People (Francisco Cali Tzay)
- Internally Displaced Persons (Paula Gaviria Betancur)
- International Solidarity (Cecilia Bailliet)
- Leprosy (Beatriz Miranda-Galarza)
- Migrants (François Crépeau)
- Minority Issues (Fernand de Varennes)
- Negative Impact of the Unilateral Coercive Measures on the Enjoyment of Human Rights (Alena Douhan)
- Physical and Mental Health (Tlaleng Mofokeng)
- Privacy (Ana Brian Nougrères)
- Protecting Human Rights while Countering Terrorism (Ben Saul)
- Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (Ashwini K.P.)
- Right to Food (Michael Fakhri)
- Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children (Najat Maalla M'jid)
- Torture (Alice Jill Edwards)
- Trafficking in Persons (Siobhán Mullally)
- Transnational Corporations (Damilola Olawuyi)
- Truth, Justice, Reparation & non-Recurrence (Fabián Salvioli)
- Violence against Women (Reem Alsalem)
- Water and Sanitation (Pedro Arrojo Agudo)
- Illicit Movement of Toxic Waste (Marcos A. Orellana)