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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The myth that persons with albinism naturally have a short lifespan is also prevalent. It appears to supply an explanation for the relatively high frequency of early deaths among persons with albinism. Such early deaths, which particularly correlate with the myth that persons with albinism disappear, also appear to be strongly linked to the prevalence of skin cancer and the high number of early to midlife fatalities recorded among them on account of this preventable disease. There is an urgent need to address this disease through the provision of both preventive and curative measures that are accessible and affordable or free, particularly in rural areas.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft beliefs and practices as they relate to albinism have essentially capitalized on a myth-riddled situation, to the benefit of practitioners and willing believers. Further, the relative rarity of body parts of persons with albinism has been capitalized upon by the witchcraft beliefs which proffer that the body parts can attract equally rare minerals, such as gold or diamonds. The same argument with regard to rarity appears to have informed the market value of body parts, such that "the albino fetish has become the most expensive charm because it is perceived as harnessing spirits that are far more powerful than … a waganga [witchdoctor/traditional healer] could otherwise offer".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- There are different types of albinism. The most common and visible type is oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), which affects the skin, the hair and the eyes. Within this type, there are subtypes, which reflect varying degrees of melanin pigment deficiency in an individual. The main subtypes of OCA are tyrosinase negative albinism (OCA1) and tyrosinase positive albinism (OCA2). In OCA1, there is little or no production of melanin and it is often characterized by white hair and opaque or transparent irises. In the more prevalent, particularly in African countries, OCA2, some melanin is produced and it is characterized by yellow-blonde or sandy-coloured hair and grey to light brown irises. A less common form of albinism is ocular albinism which affects the eyes alone, while albinism accompanied by Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome is another less common form, which is characterized by bleeding disorders, bowel (colitis) and lung diseases.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- It is likely that similar laws, including those inherited from the colonial era, when examined in the light of the principles of human rights, including the rule of law and the right to a fair trial, would lead to outcomes similar to the ones prescribed by the Commission. They include repealing outdated legislation on witchcraft, while emphasizing the necessity of sanctioning persons who accuse others of witchcraft; making it generally known that harmful practices related to witchcraft would be prosecuted; and ensuring that mere belief in witchcraft is not criminalized. However, as witchcraft in general has yet to feature prominently on the radar of human rights mechanisms, the initiation of a system-wide approach, beginning with a scaled-up version of the exercise conducted in Papua New Guinea, including an exercise in definition, is timely.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- That being said, given the extent of witchcraft practices and the diversity of victims of related harmful practices, including persons with albinism, a transversal approach is timely. This could be in the form of a guiding document that takes into account the several recommendations made to date, including by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Constitutional Law Reform Commission of Papua New Guinea and the preliminary conclusions of the Independent Expert.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In an environment where having albinism is regarded as a curse and where the myth that albinism can be contracted like a contagious disease is prevalent, crossing the road to avoid walking near or refusing to shake hands with persons with albinism is commonplace.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- UNICEF extends this definition by adding that "witchcraft is a theory that explains and justifies a conception of the universe". With both conceptualizations, witchcraft could also be described as a religion or belief. In various countries affected by attacks against persons with albinism, witchcraft beliefs and practices are widespread. Adherents are found across various strata of society, transcending socioeconomic class, the urban-rural divide and levels of education.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Countries with records of attacks against persons with albinism, including both countries visited this year by the Independent Expert, demonstrated the challenge of the ambiguity between the two practices. This problem has already been identified by the Independent Expert as a root cause of attacks. The issue is further complicated by the lack of effective oversight over the practice of traditional healers, the secrecy that often surrounds witchcraft practice and the absence of a clear national policy position on the issue.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- There are rare cases where persons with albinism are deified or viewed as having godlike qualities. For example, the Guna people in Latin America give a special place to persons with albinism as protectors. Tales of persons with albinism being considered as water deities or as natural chiefs have also been reported. While deification and positive supernaturalization of persons with albinism may appear to be desirable, this is not an ideal state because the person with albinism is still the subject of myths unfounded on fact or science. Consequently, their dignity remains grounded in subjective narratives and not in their objective status as human beings.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In the Pacific Islands, it has been reported that people with albinism suffer comparable human rights-related issues with regard to lack of access to information and support for health conditions, vision problems and cultural isolation. There is little verified information on the human rights situation of persons with albinism in Asia, South America and the Caribbean. The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee stressed that the absence of information on albinism in other regions should not be interpreted to mean that there is no problem of discrimination, stigmatization and violence in those regions. Lack of sufficient knowledge remains a significant barrier to tackling discrimination, stigmatization and violence.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Despite these considerations, it appears that various countries with records of attacks do criminalize witchcraft, using a definition of the phenomena in their legislation. However, most of these laws were inherited from the colonial period and are often out of touch with present reality. They bear a limited understanding of witchcraft - its extent, scope, flexibility and evolution - and proffer a definition of the phenomena that is difficult to enforce.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, myths contribute to minimizing the social impact of attacks against persons with albinism and justify their disappearance. In this regard, the testimony of a digger is telling as he explains that myths are used to "deceive people because the waganga [witchdoctors/traditional healers] believe that the zeruzeru [a pejorative term for a person with albinism] aren't missed in the community. They believe that they are not useful people and if they die they are not lost".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, understanding the root causes of attacks against persons with albinism is necessary in order to design strategies to address discrimination and attacks and to identify adequate prevention measures. The secrecy surrounding witchcraft practices and the underground nature of the market associated with the trafficking in body parts of persons with albinism make it difficult to find evidence. Understanding the phenomena and their implications would therefore be one of the priorities of the Independent Expert.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- In the 26 countries where attacks against persons with albinism have been reported to date, all of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, belief in witchcraft and witchcraft practices have been reported, including by civil society and the media. The beliefs do not seem constrained by socioeconomic class, level of education or location; both urban and rural areas are affected. Witchcraft beliefs and practices are referred to in everyday conversation, and they seem to be socially accepted means of handling issues, providing explanations for unusual occurrences or establishing responsibility in cases of misfortune. Witchcraft beliefs and practices are also used to justify accusations stemming from envy, hatred, vengeance and other similar vice. Belief in witchcraft allows people to make sense of their seemingly arbitrary misfortune and to blame a particular person. This blame is often targeted at persons in one's immediate social circle, after consultation with a witchdoctor.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The vast majority of attacks against persons with albinism have been carried out in order to harvest body parts. There are beliefs that drinking the blood of persons with albinism gives extra magical power or that it has magical properties and brings prosperity and good luck. Fingers of persons with albinism are reportedly worn as necklaces and amulets. Bones of persons with albinism are used to successfully mine for gold and other desirable minerals. Hands of persons with albinism are burned to ashes and mixed in a paste to cure strokes; blood of persons with albinism is used to boost vitality and intellectual capacity, as well as for political power and business. Hair has been touted as useful for agriculture. Genitals, breasts and placentas are used to cure infertility and create good luck.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Further witchcraft beliefs are that placing the skull of a person with albinism in the foundation of a new building will bring luck to the building, that burying body parts in key places on a farm ensures big harvests and that inserting the hand of a person with albinism into the entrances of shops encourages customers to come. It was also reported that fishermen weave hair of persons with albinism into their nets or use the skin of persons with albinism to brush their nets to enhance fishing. Body parts are also sought after for protection, for example against plane crashes. It is also believed that body parts can protect one against witches and that burying a body part of a person with albinism in one's house will keep witches away.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- A witness reported: "witchdoctors told me that they kill persons with albinism and use their organs to make magic potions for their clients who want to become rich and successful". Similarly, a witchdoctor admitted to the use of bones of persons with albinism after being instructed by his ancestors, stating that "good witchcraft is when one uses organs of a dead person with albinism" while "bad witchcraft is when one kills a person with albinism for their body parts". In another interview, a witchdoctor explained that "from their hair to their bones, albinos are sought after. When we hear that an albino has died somewhere, we try to find out where he has been buried in order to recover some parts which are really important to help us … we even kill albinos because we need certain parts of their bodies". In addition to attacks against persons with albinism, such witchcraft beliefs have often led to the desecration of their graves.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- It has been widely reported and documented that persons with albinism are hunted and physically attacked due to prevailing myths such as the misbelief that their body parts, when used in witchcraft rituals and potions or amulets, will induce wealth, good luck and political success. Other dangerous myths that facilitate the perpetration of attacks are those linked to perceptions of their appearance, including misbeliefs and myths that persons with albinism are not human beings, but ghosts, that they are subhuman and that they do not die, but disappear. An increase of those attacks, referred to as "ritual attacks", has been reported by civil society during periods of political elections.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Evans-Pritchard distinguishes between "witchcraft" and "sorcery". According to his definition, witches have supernatural powers and operate in secret, in order to harm victims by devouring their life essence. In contrast, a sorcerer is someone who does harm by using plant substances and rituals. The use of body parts of persons with albinism in amulets, charms, potions or other preparations could arguably fall under either category. Therefore, in the present report, the Independent Expert will use the term "witchcraft" to denote both concepts. She will not use the term "magic", which has been employed in some cases to describe attacks against persons with albinism, because it seems to have a dual quality of both benevolence and malevolence, and may therefore be misunderstood. Since the report intends to capture witchcraft in the broader sense and its negative impact on persons with albinism, the term "magic" - in its malevolent form - will be understood to be subsumed by the term "witchcraft".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- There are different types of albinism. The most common and visible type is oculocutaneous albinism, which affects the skin, hair and eyes. Within this type are subtypes that may reflect varying degrees of melanin deficiency in an individual. Lack of melanin in the eyes results in high sensitivity to bright light and significant vision impairment, with the level of severity varying from one person to another. This vision impairment often cannot be completely corrected. In addition, one of the most serious health implications of albinism is vulnerability to skin cancer, which remains a life-threatening condition for most persons with albinism. All human rights issues relating to albinism reported to date - attacks, mutilation and trafficking of body parts, among others - have been linked to its oculocutaneous form, which is also the most visible type of albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The present report does not question the necessity, complementarity or usefulness of traditional medicine. However, the broad definition of the concept has led to situations where the difference between witchcraft practitioners and traditional doctors is difficult to establish in practice. For example, the Independent Expert has seen advertisements in newspapers posted by "traditional healers" offering to make clients richer, cure incurable diseases, secure release from prison, and making other claims that are more suggestive of witchcraft than traditional medicine. In this context, the ideological affinity found between patients and traditional medicine could facilitate witchcraft as a harmful practice because witchcraft can have a diagnostic objective that could implicate innocent third parties - for example, persons known to and disliked by the patient - as the source of a patient's problem.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- As noted during the universal periodic review of Papua New Guinea, the National Action Plan against Sorcery- and Witchcraft-related Violence was approved in 2015 (A/HRC/33/10). The Action Plan is supported by the national and provincial committees, which serve to ensure its implementation to complement existing laws that address sorcery and witchcraft-related killings and violence. The Action Plan, which puts emphasis on strengthening partnerships between relevant stakeholders, has five core areas: legal reforms and protection; health; advocacy and communication; care and counselling; and research. Each area contains a few key recommendations and sets out concrete activities to be implemented. It also allocates specific responsibilities to particular departments and organizations, establishes time frames, and highlights the human and financial resources necessary to implement them.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft practice, in particular the use of body parts of persons with albinism for muti or juju, is undeniably one of the main root causes of attacks against persons with albinism. However, owing to challenges in conceptualizing "witchcraft" using objective elements, attempts at establishing clear legal boundaries around such practices - including to deter related harmful practices - have been elusive. One key exception is witchcraft accusations, an aspect of witchcraft practice that can be, and has been, legally captured with objective elements because there is no need to define "witchcraft" itself to achieve the purpose of preventing accusations and related violence.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- In the absence of specific legislation covering trafficking of body parts, some States have been confronted with a legal gap when they arrest persons for trafficking body parts of persons with albinism such as bones, hair and limbs. In response to this situation, in Malawi for example, the judiciary has made creative use of the Anatomy Act, which was not drafted with the horrendous crimes perpetrated against persons with albinism in mind. The Act, which was drafted for a medical context, carries relatively light penalties but was, until recent reforms, the only instrument available to prosecute cases of possession of body parts of persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Information has been received that killings are known to peak during election times as demand for magical potions by politicians seeking election or re-election goes up. Civil society reported that, prior to several elections in the African region, the number of reported attacks increased in various countries. Internal conflicts or political tensions also provide a framework of uncertainty conducive to reliance on supernatural beliefs and witchcraft practices.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert makes the following recommendations to States affected by attacks against persons with albinism:] [Reasonable accommodation for visual impairment] Provide reasonable accommodation for visual impairment as well as adequate protective measures against attacks on persons with albinism in schools and at places of work;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- Second are the inherent limits of self-regulation, weak law enforcement and the absence of a far-reaching oversight mechanism for both urban and rural areas. Further, self-regulation by organizations of traditional healers have done little to prevent purported practitioners of traditional medicine from establishing themselves on their own, with no oversight at all. Weak enforcement of government licensing systems has also led to similar situations.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Beliefs that attribute supernatural qualities to persons with albinism serve only to dehumanize them. Such beliefs deify or demonize persons with albinism, and present as natural the exclusion, stigma and discrimination they face. This is the case, for example, in the widespread myth that persons with albinism do not die, but simply disappear. This myth is particularly disturbing because it justifies any sudden and inexplicable disappearance of a person with albinism from his or her community. This belief poses a strong risk to persons with albinism by proactively providing an acceptable explanation to the community for the disappearance of a person with albinism after an attack. Further, the existence of such a myth supports the hypothesis that violations of the life and security of persons with albinism predate the contemporary attention given to the issue.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network stresses that there is no universally accepted definition of witchcraft and the term means different things to different people in different places. Primarily witchcraft can be seen as a negative, malevolent force which is used by people in the spirit realm to bring about harm in the physical realm. In 1974, Marc Augé defined witchcraft as "a set of beliefs, structured and shared by a given population, that addresses the origin of misfortune, illness and death, and a set of practices for detection, treatment and punishment that corresponds to these beliefs".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft is therefore, at least in part, a means of reconciling the traditional with the modern, the former promising to answer questions deemed unanswered by the latter. However the explanations provided by witchcraft are often not grounded on fact but are based on myths and pre-existing beliefs, for which the witchdoctor has a solution at a price. The situation bears strong elements of fraud. To the extent that it solves socioeconomic problems, at best, it supplies only a limited form of social justice and equity as it fails to address the real causes of problems and ultimately leads people to resign themselves to their "misfortunes" instead of accurately understanding and resolving them.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph