Sixty-first session (2002)
General recommendation XXIX on article 1, paragraph 1,
of the Convention (Descent)
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination,
Recalling the terms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights according to which all
human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and are entitled to the rights and freedoms
therein without distinction of any kind, including race, colour, sex, language, religion, social origin,
birth or other status,
Recalling also the terms of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action of the World
Conference on Human Rights according to which it is the duty of States, regardless of political,
economic and cultural system, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Reaffirming its general recommendation XXVIII in which the Committee expresses
wholehearted support for the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference
against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance,
Reaffirming also the condemnation of discrimination against persons of Asian and African
descent and indigenous and other forms of descent in the Durban Declaration and Programme of
Action,
Basing its action on the provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination which seeks to eliminate discrimination based on race, colour,
descent, or national or ethnic origin,
Confirming the consistent view of the Committee that the term “descent” in article 1,
paragraph 1, the Convention does not solely refer to “race” and has a meaning and application which
complement the other prohibited grounds of discrimination,
Strongly reaffirming that discrimination based on “descent” includes discrimination against
members of communities based on forms of social stratification such as caste and analogous systems
of inherited status which nullify or impair their equal enjoyment of human rights,
Noting that the existence of such discrimination has become evident from the Committee’s
examination of reports of a number of States parties to the Convention,
Having organized a thematic discussion on descent-based discrimination and received the
contributions of members of the Committee, as well as contributions from some Governments and
members of other United Nations bodies, notably experts of the Sub-Commission for the Promotion
and Protection of Human Rights,
Having received contributions from a great number of concerned non-governmental
organizations and individuals, orally and through written information, providing the Committee with
further evidence of the extent and persistence of descent-based discrimination in different regions of
the world,
Concluding that fresh efforts need to be made as well as existing efforts intensified at the
level of domestic law and practice to eliminate the scourge of descent-based discrimination and
empower communities affected by it,
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