A/HRC/25/54/Add.2 I. Introduction 1. At the invitation of the central Government, the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, and on the right to non-discrimination in this context, undertook an official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 29 August to 11 September 2013. The purpose of the visit was to examine the realization of the right to adequate housing in the light of existing international human rights standards. 2. The Special Rapporteur expresses her gratitude to the central Government and the devolved administrations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales for the cooperation and hospitality extended before, during and after her visit. Although she was unable to visit Wales due to lack of time, the Special Rapporteur is grateful for the information it shared with her. 3. The Special Rapporteur visited London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Manchester, where she met with officials; representatives of national human rights institutions and civil society organizations, including housing charities and registered social landlords; academics; and housing and human rights experts. Most importantly, she is thankful for the testimonies heard during the visit and the many letters received thereafter from residents. She wishes to thank all organizations and individuals for the high level of contributions received in preparing the present report. 4. One point must be clarified at the outset of the report. Devolution, a process designed to decentralize some functions of the Government in the United Kingdom, occurred in 1999. The housing and planning functions are devolved; however, devolution applies in different ways in each devolved administration due to historical and administrative differences. There are also central legislative powers, such as those related to welfare or budgetary decisions (reserved powers), which have a direct impact on the housing sector. Equality legislation is devolved in Northern Ireland, but it is not elsewhere. The equality legislation relevant to Northern Ireland is section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; while this is United Kingdom legislation, it specifically applies to public authorities carrying out functions in relation to Northern Ireland. Insofar as the strict length of this report allows, the Special Rapporteur has tried to use examples of some policies in different administrations to illustrate the existing diversity, while in other cases she has referred to central policies from Westminster affecting the United Kingdom as a whole. 5. The Special Rapporteur recognizes that housing pressures in the south-east of England may have distorting effects on issues discussed in this report, and the report may not always adequately reflect the specificities of each devolved administration. The complexity of the housing sector in each devolved administration would deserve a much longer in-depth report, which is beyond the present report’s scope and purpose. The Special Rapporteur outlines some issues which were brought to her attention during and after her visit, raises concerns and offers recommendations from a human rights perspective. II. International and national human rights standards 6. The United Kingdom was the first country to ratify the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, in 1951, and has ratified several international human rights instruments. In carrying out her assessment, the Special Rapporteur is guided by these instruments, in particular in relation to the prohibition of discrimination and the protection of the right to adequate housing, as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living. The Special Rapporteur has considered the 3