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Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- In its work in the field the United Nations has developed some excellent practice with regard to minority issues. However, there is no mechanism for or consistent practice of ensuring that minority issues are mainstreamed across the in-country work of entities in the United Nations system, in accordance with article 9 of the Declaration, even in countries where those issues are at the core of local conflicts. At the Headquarters level, in the Department of Political Affairs and in the UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, know-how on minority rights could be enhanced to facilitate the development of policies and practices sensitive to minorities. Appropriate training programmes and resources are required for staff throughout the United Nations system, to assist in the early identification by decision makers at the highest level of tensions involving minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Institutional attention to minority issues is essential to changing the exclusionary practices and discriminatory perceptions about minority groups in wider society that may be institutionalized. Activities should therefore be focused not solely on minorities, but rather on all sectors of society. Coordinated institutional approaches should engage minorities, majority communities, and civil society as key stakeholders. Institutional measures should serve to mainstream minority issues within all relevant institutions and promote diversity and equality in all areas of public life.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- When they have easy access to institutions providing channels of complaint and remedy, including in their own languages, minorities are more likely to engage such bodies, and bring complaints of discrimination, which too often go unreported and unchallenged. Institutional attention to minority issues conveys a positive message to minorities, namely, that government recognizes their issues and concerns, and is committed to finding solutions to challenges involving minorities; and it also helps to instil confidence within communities. This may be particularly important in times of political and social upheaval, or administrative or regime change, or following conflict involving or impacting upon minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The full and effective participation of minorities is fundamental to the realization of minority rights and a key objective of national institutional attention to minorities. Effective attention can be achieved only with the participation of minorities, both as staff and as partners in the work of institutions addressing minority issues. It should always be remembered that minorities are members of society and should have their full say on issues involving all aspects of society, and not only on those issues of particular minority concern. In cases where they do not have that say, institutional attention to minority rights and minority issues is a means of enhancing their participation in all aspects of the economic, social and political life and development of their countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Nevertheless, a reasonable degree of accommodation of smaller and lesser-used languages should be provided. Modalities to support small or dispersed linguistic communities must be considered and can include support for informal language classes within or outside the public education structures and ensuring consultation with cultural associations representing linguistic minorities to assess and respond to specific needs. Factors such as voluntary and forced migration, conflict, climate change, and the opening of borders, for example across the Europe Union member States, are creating ever more diverse ethnic and linguistic societies in which language rights and needs must be taken into account.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- While resources available to a State are a factor, Governments must nevertheless fulfil their obligations to the best of their ability for all linguistic minorities. Numerous cost-effective methods are available to fulfil language rights, including translation of key information, web-based resources targeted at minorities, and policies of promoting training of minorities and their recruitment at national and local levels in public institutions. The use of minority mediators is a positive practice utilized by some States to improve communication with minorities. It may also be appropriate to encourage and facilitate cross-border cooperation, for example where a linguistic minority has a neighbouring or kin State with a shared language tradition.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Minority languages are declining at a worrying rate in all regions. In some cases that decline reflects a process of language loss which is almost irreversible, due to factors such as globalization and processes of assimilation and cultural dilution. However, in many cases, the disappearance of minority languages is a failure of protection of the rights of minority communities who wish to maintain their languages, as well as a tragedy for a nation’s cultural and linguistic heritage and diversity. Long-term data collection and analysis helps to reveal the relative health of minority languages and the growth or decline of language use and is essential for the preservation of some threatened languages.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Conditions of detention or imprisonment, and the relevant staff, should reasonably accommodate the cultural, dietary, religious and linguistic characteristics of minority prisoners.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- In terms of disasters, all actors should strive to mitigate the adverse impact of natural hazards on communities, for example through effective disaster risk reduction and mitigation measures, especially in areas prone to recurrent disasters, through including minorities in disaster risk reduction programmes from the outset. Overall, the Special Rapporteur notes that much can be done to anticipate and address the needs of at risk minorities during catastrophic events. Adequate planning will go far to minimize the extent to which these groups suffer disproportionately and experience devastating outcomes. Responsible emergency preparedness and response efforts that incorporate a minority rights approach, ensuring that minority voices can raise their concerns and opinions regarding relief and recovery efforts, can be critical to preventing disasters from having a disproportionate impact on, or further ravaging the lives of minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 125
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur acknowledges that further in-depth studies of caste-affected communities, particularly outside of South Asia, are needed in order to comprehensively assess the situation of and specific challenges facing such groups and implement adequate measures to combat caste-based discrimination that affects them. To that end, the collection of data disaggregated by, inter alia, caste, sex, ethnicity, religion and language is essential to adequately map affected groups in caste-affected countries. Data collection programmes should allow for diverse forms of self-identification and comply with international standards regarding the right to privacy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur believes that similarly, United Nations staff in all offices and entities, particularly in the field, should better reflect the national, ethnic and religious make-up of the societies in which they operate. With established, strong networks of consultation with minorities and trust-building efforts between United Nations offices and minority communities, the Organization will be better equipped to fulfil its vital role in recognizing and responding to early warning signs of intercommunal tensions and be better prepared to prevent mass atrocity crimes and genocide, of which minorities are the most frequent targets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has repeatedly emphasized that the collection and statistical analysis of disaggregated data on minorities are crucial to obtain important baseline information on the actual situation and status of minority communities. Such data would allow for adequate policy responses to minority issues, including the establishment and monitoring of targeted actions and programmes to prevent and address poverty, exclusion and discrimination. The Special Rapporteur urges States to collect data disaggregated on the basis of, inter alia, gender, ethnicity, language and religious affiliation. Individuals should be able to self-identify and express multiple identities. Data collection should be periodic and comply with international standards of privacy and personal data protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- Minorities remain among the poorest and the most socially and economically excluded and marginalized communities globally, yet targeted attention to their situations is lacking. The Special Rapporteur believes that the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, although it failed to include an explicit reference to minorities, provides important momentum for their inclusion in the actions to be undertaken for its implementation. She firmly believes that the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda can only be achieved by taking into consideration the situation of minorities, and calls on States to fulfil in practice the principle of leaving no one behind.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Education curricula should avoid stereotypes and provide a realistic and non-discriminatory image of all communities within society. States should ensure that members of minorities are able to adopt the necessary measures to ensure the protection and promotion of their identity, such as providing mother tongue education and religious education. Education at all levels should have the goal of enabling members of minorities to compete on an equal footing for jobs and other opportunities while preserving their distinct identities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 110
- Paragraph text
- Communications between the human rights institutions in Geneva and the peace and security institutions in New York should be strengthened further. Regular communications at a working level between the country desk officers of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and their colleagues in the Department of Political Affairs and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations would promote the sharing of information and common understanding of minority rights situations in countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- As the Secretary-General affirmed in his report, early warning does not equate with early action (A/64/864, para. 19). States and international organizations remain reluctant to take action until violence has started. That is regrettable. Too much of the engagement of the international community is too late on the conflict continuum that spans from grievances to violence. As conflict situations escalate, the human costs on the ground and the political and financial costs to the international community escalate exponentially.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Minority communities are not homogenous and it is important to understand the challenges facing those, including women, children and the elderly, whose needs, perceptions and expectations may vary. Older people, who may be first-generation immigrants, may have stronger linguistic and cultural ties than young people who have been brought up and educated in their country of residence. They may face greater challenges in learning and adapting to the national language and require culturally sensitive, affordable and accessible assistance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The relationship between inequality, discrimination and poverty cannot be ignored or underestimated. Tens of millions of people worldwide are trapped in a cycle of discrimination, exclusion, poverty and underdevelopment from which they cannot break out without targeted attention given to their situations. It is imperative that the United Nations and others, as they move forward to craft a new set of development objectives and targets, addresses the inequalities faced by national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, the Special Rapporteur believes that the international community must better recognize the vulnerability of minorities in crisis situations, develop more targeted strategies and invest more to respond to them. Although the identification of minority groups in a situation of crises might be difficult, protection mechanisms, including humanitarian assistance programmes, need to be designed in a way which addresses their specific needs and enable these groups to avoid undue disparate impacts as well as retain their identity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur particularly encourages OHCHR to launch an awareness-raising and action campaign, including through the United Nations network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities, on the occasion of the two anniversaries. Such a campaign should advocate for better mainstreaming of minority rights across United Nations departments and agencies and could highlight the most important emerging issues and best practices to assist Member States in strengthening their minority rights protection efforts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- Predicting and preventing violence must not remain an academic exercise. Post-violence analysis has helped to develop indicators and improve the potential to raise alarms and trigger early warning mechanisms; however, analysis conducted after violence has begun means that the action taken is often too little and too late. The lessons of past atrocities must be put into practice when the warning signs are clear and, even when they are not, States must become more capable of responding to them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 108
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that there are several non-legal ways and means to tackle hate speech. Public condemnation of hate speech by political leaders, parliamentarians, party members, other public figures and community leaders can shape public perceptions and contribute to unity and social cohesion. Democratic political parties need to find effective tools and outreach strategies to counterbalance hate messages spread by extremist forces and parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- States should pay particular attention to the ways in which memory and mourning processes related to the Roma Holocaust are framed, collected and disseminated, including through the media and formal and informal education systems. In this regard, she recalls the importance of including Roma in all such endeavours, including at all official ceremonies commemorating victims of the Second World War.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Substantial steps have been taken over recent years to reposition international engagement with conflict situations from the point of reaction to a point of identification of early warnings. There is mounting evidence that one of the earliest indicators of potential violence is the chronic disregard of minority rights. Early warning systems must have the necessary expertise to be alert to such indicators. While there is already a substantial flow of information to early warning mechanisms within the United Nations system, a focus on minority rights should be strengthened.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Recalling that 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the independent expert urges all stakeholders, including United Nations Member States, civil society and minorities themselves to undertake efforts and initiatives to increase awareness of the Declaration amongst all people within their respective States and regions, and to actively promote its implementation and the full enjoyment of all human rights by persons belonging to minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities 2013, para. 91g
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert provides the following broad recommendations to national Governments and the international community:] In multi-faith societies, efforts to build a climate of trust, understanding, acceptance and interfaith cooperation and exchange benefit the whole of society and are essential elements of good governance and measures to prevent grievances, tensions and conflict. The active engagement and leadership of religious, community and political actors is essential to such efforts and should be encouraged and supported, including through the establishment of formal and informal mechanisms for dialogue, exchanges of views and consideration of interfaith and intercommunity initiatives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert calls upon States Members of the United Nations to provide her with information relating to the national protection of linguistic minority rights and minority languages, including legislation, policy and practices. She particularly wishes to be informed of positive practices to protect and promote the rights of linguistic minorities. She encourages linguistic minorities and non-governmental organizations to provide her with information about their situations and challenges relating to minority-language use and their proposals for solutions to challenges.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The post-2015 framework of new goals should be based on human rights, including minority rights as established in the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, and the principles of equality, non-discrimination and participation. A focus on disadvantaged minorities and specific minority groups, including Roma, people of African Descent, Dalits, and disadvantaged religious and linguistic minorities worldwide would potentially bring much needed development attention to millions of the most excluded and impoverished peoples globally.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The need for disaggregated data to reveal the inequalities experienced by persons belonging to minority groups remains essential and national efforts to collect and analyse such data should be enhanced and assisted by the international community. Disaggregated data are needed across all goals and in relation to such crucial areas as education, employment, health, and household income. Such data not only allows inequalities to be identified, they assist in the design of appropriate targeted solutions and in the monitoring and evaluation of progress towards achieving goals for minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 106
- Paragraph text
- Legislation must fully respect the right to freedom of speech and expression and avoid any arbitrary or abusive interpretation of anti-hate speech laws. States should establish proportionate thresholds for the assessment of forms of expression which may amount to incitement to hatred, including careful consideration, on a case-by-case basis, of the context, speaker, intent, content, extent or magnitude and likelihood or probability of harm occurring. Legislation prohibiting incitement to hatred should provide effective and adequate remedies to victims, including civil remedies for damages, and guarantee the right of correction and reply.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
- Paragraph type
- Conclusion / Recommendation
Paragraph