cumstances and needs. While certain basic principles and criteria are common to all special procedures, the complexities and peculiarities of each individual mandate have at times required special arrangements.

Dialogue  with Governments
Each independent expert initiates constructive dialogue with States’ represen- tatives in order to obtain their cooperation as a means of redressing violations of human rights. Their examinations and investigations are carried out in an objective manner so as to identify solutions to States for securing respect for human rights.

Individual complaints mechanisms
These mechanisms have no formal complaints procedures even though their activities are based on information received from various sources (the victims or their relatives, local or international NGOs, for example) containing allega- tions of human rights violations. Information of this kind may be submitted in various forms (e.g. letters, faxes, and cables) and may concern individual cases as well as details of situations of alleged violations of human  rights.
In order to pursue a complaint, a number of  requirements must be fulfilled:
• identification of  the alleged victim(s);
• identification of  the Government agents responsible for the violation;
• identification of the person(s) or organization(s) submitting the commu- nication;
• a detailed description of the circumstances of the incident in which the alleged violation occurred.
In order to be considered admissible, a communication must:
• not be anonymous;
• not contain abusive language;
• not convey an overtly political motivation;
• describe the facts of the incident and the relevant details referred to above, clearly and concisely.