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Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Some conflicts are rooted in the denial or deprivation of citizenship to certain identity groups. Disputes regarding citizenship often arise against the background of pre-existing ethnic or regional conflict, linked in many cases to broader factors of poverty, competition for scarce resources and political instability (A/HRC/7/23, para. 26). The denial of citizenship to a minority community has both a symbolic and practical impact, both of which can be central to the origins of conflict. It sends an unambiguous message about the exclusion of a community as part of the national identity. The denial of citizenship can also mean denial of access to schooling, to health treatment or other services and to political office as well as the constant threat of deportation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Economic exclusion is a cause, a manifestation and a consequence of discrimination against persons belonging to minorities. Many minorities have historically been excluded from full and effective participation in economic life, both in the developed and in the developing world. Minorities are often discriminated against when they seek employment, for example, on the basis of their colour, their religion, their language, their names, or even their addresses. Minorities are often poorly represented even in public sector employment and despite legislation that bans discrimination in both public and private sectors. They may face barriers in accessing credit or loans to begin small businesses and may live in the poorest regions or remote areas that offer limited prospects for their economic development. Equally, large-scale economic development projects or commercial activities carried out on the lands and territories where minorities live without their prior consultation has had negative impacts, including displacement, the perpetuation of poverty and, in some cases, violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- The tragic events in Rwanda and in the former Yugoslavia gave new impetus to efforts by the United Nations to protect minorities - described by the Secretary-General as "genocide's most frequent targets" - and other vulnerable population groups. In 2004, the Secretary-General established the mandate of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. The principal objective of the Special Adviser is to advise the Secretary-General and the Security Council on actions to protect vulnerable populations from genocide. The Office of the Special Adviser also attempts to identify a range of potential threats to minority populations at an early stage and make recommendations regarding the more constructive management of cultural diversity issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
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
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Preventive diplomacy can be most effective when tensions first arise between a Government and a minority, and they are relatively susceptible to third party engagement. Envoys may work discreetly, as the situation is not yet in the glare of national or international media. Parties may be willing to calmly present their concerns, and to explore possible solutions. When a situation develops from these initial tensions to actual incidences of violence, positions begin to harden and resistance to compromise grows. It becomes more difficult for leaders to make compromises as the depth of feeling and emotion among their constituencies increases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- In its resolution 6/15 of 28 September 2007, the Human Rights Council established a Forum on Minority Issues ("the Forum"), inter alia to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as well as thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the independent expert on minority issues. The independent expert is required to guide the work of the Forum and prepare its annual meetings. The inaugural session took place on 15 and 16 December 2008 in Geneva with a thematic focus on "Minorities and the Right to Education".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Where the electoral system requires parties to present a list of candidates for election, the electoral law may require that the list be ethnically mixed or have a minimum number of minority candidates. In "closed list" systems, where the party, rather than the voter, determines the order of priority of the candidates, the party may place the minority candidate high on the list to ensure that she or he gains a seat, regardless of voters' actual preferences. Of course, such lists can be a barrier to effective minority representation if mainstream political parties place minority candidates low on their lists.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation, the prohibition of discrimination and special measures are firmly rooted in international human rights law. The right of all persons to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives, as well as to vote and be elected in genuine periodic elections is affirmed in article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This provision is an elaboration of article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
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
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
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- It is critical that the process be guided by the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination. Communities that may be more populous, that have greater disruptive capacities or military strength or that may be more successful in commerce may emerge at an early stage as the principle contenders for distribution of political power and State resources. However, under such conditions, minority rights must be prioritized, enabling members of all minority groups to participate effectively in decisions affecting them and in all aspects of society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The demarcation of boundaries of electoral districts may also be carried out in such a way as to facilitate representation of minorities if the minority is territorially concentrated, even though there is no reserved seat for the minority as such. The number of minority seats may also be increased by creating smaller electoral districts and thereby increasing their number. To ensure that boundaries do not unfairly prejudice any group, an official demarcation body independent of Government and with a fully representative membership should be set up.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination is a key cause of the widespread marginalization of minorities in societies worldwide. It is also an obstacle to the effective participation of minorities. Discrimination can take different forms. Certain segments of minority populations are exposed to multiple forms of discrimination; in addition to being discriminated against on account of their belonging to a national or ethnic, religious or linguistic minority, they are discriminated against because of their gender, age, disability, sexual orientation or other grounds.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
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
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- National human rights institutions that comply with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights ("the Paris Principles") can also play a constructive role in promoting the positive valuing of diversity and addressing issues that could cause conflict. Such institutions may include designated commissioners for minority issues, or separate, dedicated institutions may be established, as is the case with the National Commission for Minorities in India.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Many States are engaged in ongoing efforts to accommodate the interests of diverse communities. Finding the optimal arrangement may be a dynamic process and may not be resolved at the first attempt. Some States have repeatedly adjusted the structure of their systems of federalism over many years in an effort to defuse conflict over power and resources. What is important is to ensure that the State provides channels to raise issues and to participate in decision-making; that it constantly reassesses the success of efforts to accommodate diversity; and that it is aware of the different options available.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The effective and meaningful participation of minorities in the political arena can be a pivotal element in avoiding violent conflict. While members of minorities have the right to participate in decision-making processes, particularly those that affect them, as established in article 2 (3) of the Declaration, the reality is often quite different. Minorities are greatly underrepresented in the political processes and governing institutions of most countries for a variety of reasons. They may be intentionally restricted from participation or inadvertently disadvantaged by laws or policies, or there may be a lack of political will to dismantle structural barriers to the full and equal participation of minorities.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Consequently, the rights of minorities to participate effectively in economic life must be fully taken into account by Governments seeking to promote equality at every level. From implementing non-discrimination in employment to enforcing corporate responsibility principles and developing national economic development and international development assistance schemes, Governments face the constant challenge of ensuring that the rights of minorities are protected and that they benefit as equal stakeholders in society. In their response to the current global crisis, development agencies, financial institutions and other actors involved in international cooperation are also faced with the challenge of ensuring that measures taken to alleviate the effects of the crises do not negatively impact minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- A prime example is the constitutional arrangement derived from the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Annexes thereto (Dayton Peace Agreement) (A/50/790). According to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, membership in the House of Peoples and the Presidency are reserved solely to those who identify as belonging to one of the "constituent peoples". That provision has been found by the European Court of Human Rights to violate international legal protections against discrimination on racial or ethnic grounds, and specifically the rights of persons belonging to ethnic groups other than the Bosniacs, Serbs or Croats. Sustainable peace is highly dependent on the participation of all population groups in peace negotiations and resulting State institutional arrangements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- At the core of minority rights are the protection and preservation of culturally distinctive identities within societies. The denigration or suppression of the defining identity of a person or group can be a powerful factor in generating conflict. Repressive measures to control or restrict religious or traditional practices or force assimilation can galvanize opposition and bridge other divides that may exist within the targeted communities, thereby creating a common platform around which they can rally. Language, in particular, is a potent vehicle of culture. The imposition on minority communities of a majority language, either through teaching in public schools or formal prohibitions on the use of minority languages, has been a spark that has ignited many violent clashes in every region of the world.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- As an essential tool of the early warning aspects of the mandate, the Special Adviser's office is privy to an enormous flow of information generated by sources inside and external to the United Nations system. The Special Adviser's gauge for sifting through that information flow is calibrated for precursors to genocide: an extremely important focus but one that is limited, fortunately, to a small number of situations. Clearly, therefore, there is a need for additional tools that focus on chronic abuses of minority rights at the earliest stages, to identify situations needing more upstream preventive action.
- 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
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
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation is meaningless unless a group has the ability and the resources to exercise it. An important precondition for the political participation of minorities is the capacity to participate. The capacity of minority communities to participate in the public life encompasses a broad range of issues. It hinges on the ability of persons belonging to minorities to exercise the full gamut of cultural, economic and social rights, among them language rights, the right to education, the right to work, the right to health, the right to food, the right to housing, and others. In the view of the Human Rights Committee, States should take positive measures to overcome specific difficulties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert led an electronic global discussion organized by UNICEF to highlight the issues in the special education edition of the State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2009 and the Forum on Minority Issues, with a view to highlighting the issues around minority girls' right to education. Specifically, the e-discussion examined the multiple barriers faced by minority girls in accessing education, evaluated the legal and policy responses to the above question, discussed good practices from the regional and country level and developed recommendations in line with the educational needs and priorities of minority and indigenous girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Although article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the exercise of the right to public participation to citizens, it has come to be widely recognized that citizenship requirements can hamper effective participation in certain fields of public affairs. While it remains accepted for States to impose certain restrictions on non-citizens concerning the right to vote and to be elected, such restrictions should not be applied more widely than necessary. Denial of citizenship has been used by States to exclude minorities from the enjoyment of their rights. States should consider allowing non-citizens belonging to minorities to vote, stand as candidates in local elections and be members of the governing boards of self-governing bodies, while making sure that access to citizenship is regulated in a non-discriminatory manner. Positive examples of this kind exist in a number of States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations Human Rights Committee has interpreted the conduct of public affairs broadly as the exercise of power in the legislative, executive and administrative branches. In the view of the Committee, the provision covers all aspects of public administration, including the formulation and implementation of policy at international, national, regional and local levels. Furthermore, citizens may participate in the conduct of public affairs directly or indirectly. Once a mode of participation is established, no distinction should be made between citizens as regards their participation on such grounds as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, and no unreasonable restrictions should be imposed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights places explicit emphasis on non-discrimination in the exercise of the rights contained therein, as they are to be enjoyed "without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 [of the Covenant]". Article 2 secures the respect for the rights recognized in the Covenant without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. This basic principle of prohibition of discrimination is repeated elsewhere in the Covenant and articulated in a number of instruments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- A central issue in relation to the political participation of minorities is how to determine that the quality of participation is truly "effective". When considering whether participation of persons belonging to minorities is effective, two of the most important aspects of participation must be examined. The first relates to the means which promote full and effective equality of persons belonging to minorities. The second assesses the impact of these means on the situation of the persons concerned and on the society as a whole. This impact may be viewed differently by different actors, depending on their engagement in the processes. It is not sufficient for States to ensure formal participation of persons belonging to minorities; States must also ensure that the participation of minority representatives has a substantial influence on decisions which are taken, so that there is, as far as possible, a shared ownership of the decisions taken.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Mere political participation, therefore, is not sufficient to constitute "effective" participation, and a number of considerations arise in this regard. One relates to the legitimacy of minority political representatives. It must be kept in mind that minority communities are heterogeneous and this diversity must be reflected in pluralist representation. Moreover, the political representatives can alienate themselves from their core constituencies, thus failing to fulfil the function of being genuine and effective spokespersons. And if minority representatives are not empowered to make substantial and influential decisions on issues of relevance for their communities, their participation will be tantamount to tokenism and not "effective participation".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Court has long asserted that minority protection justifies the application of a different electoral system within the State in order to ensure better minority representation in the legislature. Nevertheless, it has established that, "any electoral system must be assessed in the light of the political evolution of the country concerned", and, as a result, "features that would be unacceptable in the context of one system may accordingly be justified in the context of another".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- The minority right to effective participation can be advanced through forms of self-governance. In many cases, this entails some degree of group autonomy, which is non-territorial and gives the minority the right to administer and even legislate in certain fields, such as education, cultural affairs, application of personal laws and the preservation of customary law or practices, usually with exclusive jurisdiction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Finally, at the international level, in addition to being involved in the implementation of bilateral treaties, it is crucial that persons belonging to minorities also be involved at all stages of the monitoring and implementation of international human rights instruments, and in particular those relevant for the protection of minority rights. It is also important that minority communities be consulted on and involved in supranational integration processes.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- Ultimately, political participation through political parties may entail working through a combination of minority-focused and mainstream parties. Minority representatives may, for example, enter into coalitions with other parties, whether minority or mainstream. The configuration of the other parties may give them greater influence, for example, if they hold the balance with respect to the other parties. Even where numbers might not so warrant, the governing party may decide on a voluntary basis to include minority representatives in the Cabinet.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- There are electoral systems where voters can vote for more than one candidate from different parties, ranking them in order of choice, and the lower-order preferences are taken into account if no candidate reaches a threshold number of votes on the first-preference votes. This system may facilitate minority representation and is also thought to promote inter-group cooperation as parties seek second-preference votes from other parties' supporters. It may also encourage mainstream parties to take up minority issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- In its commentary on the Declaration, the Working Group on Minorities stated that the right to participate in all aspects of the life of the larger national society was essential, both in order for persons belonging to minorities to promote their interests and values and to create an integrated but pluralist society based on tolerance and dialogue (see E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2005/2, para. 35). The Working Group also emphasized that effective participation required representation in legislative, administrative and advisory bodies, and more generally in public life (ibid., para. 44).
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- To denigrate a community's identity as inferior or stereotype it as violent, criminal or "foreign" is discriminatory, a violation of rights and may constitute incitement to racial or religious hatred. It impacts negatively on community members' sense of inclusion in the national identity and encourages prejudicial attitudes and even violent attacks on the community by members of the public. The slope is steep and slippery between statements of disrespect coming from national leaders and hate crimes committed by individuals who feel they have been given licence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- An early focus on the protection of minority rights at the national and international levels prior to the point when grievances harden into violence would make a substantial contribution towards their protection. In that regard, it may be instructive to evaluate and learn from the relatively successful experience of mainstreaming awareness of the issues of indigenous peoples across the funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- United Nations staff working on conflict prevention and peacebuilding, particularly those working on policy, analysis and early warning and in country teams, should receive comprehensive minority rights training. The United Nations System Staff College, within the framework of the newly established Conflict Prevention Analysis for Action Network, should consider developing modules focused on minorities to improve the understanding of those issues among staff.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 107
- Paragraph text
- United Nations country teams should analyse the extent to which discrimination on ethnic, religious and linguistic grounds creates disparities in outcomes relating to their programming. Country teams should promote and support the collection of disaggregated data on minorities. All existing programmes should be assessed and revised based on that analysis. Minority communities should participate fully at all stages of programming from research and design to monitoring and evaluation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- States have significant leeway to decide, in consultation with minority communities, the modalities by which political participation can be achieved. Those measures may include the devolution of certain powers by means of a federal or autonomy arrangement; an informal council of minority representatives or a statutory body, which is consulted by the executive on matters of concern to the minority; electoral systems based on proportional representation; a system of reserved seats for minorities in parliament; or the facilitated participation in the electoral process of political parties representing the interests of minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Modalities for inclusion should always ensure ample representation of minorities at all levels of the civil service, including the police and the judiciary (see A/HRC/13/23). Additionally, it is important to note that the Declaration does not endorse modalities that would violate the sovereignty or the territorial integrity of States. Most importantly, the modality for political inclusion must afford minorities genuine influence. Tokenism or State interference in the process of identifying political representatives, for example, may lead to deeper frustrations. Further, full respect for freedoms of expression and assembly is critical.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- In November 2009, the second session of the Forum on Minority Issues focused on the issue of minorities and effective political participation. Representatives of minority communities, staff of the relevant funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations and experts on minority rights participated actively in the session. The Forum produced a set of practical recommendations and affirmed that ensuring meaningful and informed participation and the management by minorities of matters directly affecting them was a means to promote stability and integration in the societies where minorities live (A/HRC/13/25, para. 5). The Forum also recommended that States should consider what special arrangements were needed to ensure that minorities could participate in political processes during situations of transition or conflict (ibid., para. 24).
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- When violent conflict does occur in diverse societies, applying a minority rights-based approach to consultations regarding peace agreements will require that all communities affected by the conflict, including those that are not active parties to it, be able to participate in the settlement process. That approach should counteract a tendency common in many conflict situations, whereby Governments, and to a certain extent the international community, focus predominately on addressing the demands of communities that are linked to armed movements, which may result in peace agreements that guarantee rights for some communities at the expense of others. That outcome both rewards the use of violence and violates the rights of those not associated with armed movements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Access to membership in viable political parties is important for the effective mobilization of minorities in the political process, both in elections and in the conduct of the business of the legislature and administrative bodies. In some countries ethnicity-based or faith-based political parties are prohibited by law or greatly discouraged. In other countries, minorities or religious groups may either have their own political parties, or their interests may be represented by mainstream parties. The nature of the electoral system may impact on the nature of political parties and the way in which minority interests are, or are not, addressed. Both types of parties have advantages and disadvantages for minorities: minority-focused parties may address minority issues but they will risk having fewer resources and less political influence and may, if narrowly focused, increase the public perception of minorities and minority issues as marginal. Of course, political party platforms that are racist in content violate international law whether adopted by minority or majority parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Minorities also face challenges when participating in majority parties. Even if they do address minority issues, majority parties may not prioritize in their broader agendas, or may lose sight of, those issues important to minority communities. Certain types of electoral systems or political structures may make it advantageous or necessary for political parties to obtain the support of a broad spectrum of voters; this can create incentives for mainstream parties to address minority interests and/or select minority candidates to broaden their appeal. Mainstream political parties may also have internal diversity programmes, including training and mentoring, in order to encourage an increase in the number of minority politicians and activists. Where the electoral system requires parties to present a list of candidates for election, as opposed to single-candidate constituencies, there may be a legal or policy requirement that the list be ethnically mixed or have a minimum number of minority candidates. Other special measures may be applied, especially to facilitate the election of women candidates.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 108
- Paragraph text
- Effective steps should be taken to ensure that the national staff composition of the United Nations country teams is inclusive of persons from minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- A common mechanism used to facilitate minority representation is the allocation of special seats in the legislature to representatives of certain minorities (reserved seats). This is usually done under majority electoral systems which otherwise cannot guarantee minority representation, but is sometimes also used in proportional representation or mixed systems. Usually, members of the minority group, who have to register as such for this purpose, elect these representatives. The number of reserved seats generally seeks to reflect the proportion of the minority in the overall population, so it is likely to be small. If there are a number of very small minorities, they may be assigned a combined seat, although it may not be easy for one representative to represent genuinely the interests of all such groups. Mainstream parties may have an interest in mobilizing the reserved seats.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- In September 2009, the independent expert participated in a conference held in Cali, Colombia, as a regional follow-up activity to the first session of the Forum, which had focused on minorities and the right to education. The conference was organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Justice and Human Rights, in collaboration with the Cornell Law School's International Human Rights Clinic and the International Human Rights Law Clinic of the University of Virginia. In an effort to continue dialogue, remain accountable to local communities and promote grass-roots advocacy, the conference publicly launched the report entitled "Right to Education of Afro-descendant and Indigenous Communities in the Americas" that it had previously presented at the Forum. The report addresses failures to fulfil obligations with respect to the right to education without discrimination within the Americas, focusing on Colombia, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- The participation of minorities in administration, the judiciary, public bodies and public companies is another important aspect of the realization of the minority right to effective participation. Minority participation in decision-making is facilitated if members of minorities work as civil servants in a broad range of bodies, and are not confined exclusively to bodies dealing with minority issues. In some cases, there may be legal or constitutional requirements for proportional representation in the public administration bodies. Certain types of quotas have been deemed illegal in some States; however, the benefits of such special measures are evident.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- One system of power-sharing which is frequently regarded as enabling minority participation in Government is consociationalism, whereby all larger minorities are entitled to participate in Government and to a proportion of positions in the public service. Under consociationalism, ethnic groups are recognized as political entities and, as such, are entitled to a large degree of self-government in matters deemed to be internal to them, and to a share in power when matters of common interest are being resolved at the national level. It is also possible to base power-sharing not explicitly on ethnicity but on political parties; such arrangements tend to encourage the political integration of ethnic groups. A major criticism of consociationalism is that it risks excluding and disempowering smaller minorities who are not included in such arrangements.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Arguments for special measures which could ensure the participation of minorities in public bodies are based on the fact that because of their smaller number, minorities can hardly ever determine the outcome of decisions in a majoritarian democracy. In practice, minorities tend to be outvoted, unable to secure representation proportionate with their numbers, thus denying them an effective voice in the public and political life of States. The rationale for special measures is not, as is frequently perceived, to create a privileged position for minorities, but rather to level the playing field, placing minorities in the same position as majorities. Being involved in national political and social processes, contributing to policymaking and participating in (and benefiting from) public services should help to counter marginalization and alienation. States that welcome the participation and integration of minorities tend not only to be more stable, but also more prosperous.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Human rights treaty bodies and courts have dealt with a range of cases involving the right to effective participation of minorities and the related prohibition of discrimination. As regards requiring proficiency in an official language, the Human Rights Committee has held that a Government's failure to introduce legislation to permit the use of other languages disproportionately affected certain minority communities, since it denied them the use of their mother tongue in administration, justice, education, public life and Government, thus constituting a violation of article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Committee concluded that the State was under an obligation to provide the community with an effective remedy, namely by allowing its officials to respond in languages other than the official one in a non-discriminatory manner. In another case, barring a member of a minority from standing in local elections on the grounds that her proficiency in the official language was not adequate, when such an assessment was conducted in a deficient and arbitrary way and when in fact the person already held a language certificate, was deemed by the Committee to be a violation of articles 2 and 25 of the Covenant. On the same issue of barring a member of a minority from standing in elections because of allegedly inadequate proficiency in the official language, the European Court of Human Rights has found that this can constitute a violation of article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention. In the particular case, the Court held that it had grave doubts as to the legal basis for subjecting candidates holding language certificates to further tests. The Court also considered that the testing lacked objectivity and procedural fairness.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- A continuing and substantive dialogue is required in order to ensure the effective participation of women and men belonging to minorities in their society. This dialogue should be multidirectional: it must involve persons belonging to minorities as well as majority populations, and it also must be between persons belonging to minorities and the authorities. Such dialogue can be achieved only if effective channels of communication are in place. Such channels must take into account the specific needs of minority women, as well as other marginalized segments of minority communities exposed to intersectional discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Linking political participation exclusively with ethnic identity by requiring that candidates standing for election be members of certain ethnic groups and that voters belonging to certain ethnic groups be allowed to vote only for candidates from their respective groups can be detrimental to the effective political participation of minorities. As previously noted, language proficiency requirements imposed on candidates can also negatively impact the effective participation of persons belonging to minorities and in certain cases have been deemed illegal by human rights bodies and courts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- As part of her ongoing engagement with the treaty bodies in relation to the Forum, the independent expert held her first official dialogue with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women during its forty-fifth session in New York on 5 August 2009. She was invited to discuss the Forum on Minorities and education and its recommendations, as well as preparations for the second annual Forum. The Committee welcomed the opportunity for collaboration and agreed that collaboration would continue and an expert member would attend the second session.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert met officially with the chairs of the treaty bodies during their annual meeting in June 2009. She briefed them further on the outcomes and recommendations of the Forum and solicited views on how Forum recommendations could benefit their work. The independent expert is encouraged that the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has made reference to the Forum recommendations on minorities and the right to education in its consideration of State reports during its 2009 sessions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The Forum achieved exceptional participation, which included Member States, United Nations mechanisms, bodies and specialized agencies, intergovernmental organizations, regional organizations and mechanisms in the field of human rights, academics and experts on minority issues, and NGOs. Over 500 individuals were accredited to participate, including delegates from over 45 States. Over 100 NGOs were represented. The views of participants from minority communities were given a high priority and minority political actors from all regions attended.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Participation in economic and social life encompasses participation in development projects, as well as proper access to employment, land and property, housing, health care, social welfare and pensions, among others. Participation in social and cultural life covers areas such as proper access to education, media and the protection of cultural identity. In all of these areas, effective participation entails meaningful consultation, programmes designed to address the particular needs and circumstances of minorities, as well as the full and equal access to necessary services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- States are at times, however, diverted from acting consistently with this inclusive approach to national self-interest. Minorities are too often seen as a threat to the State and/or national unity. Governments may hold the erroneous views that national unity is fragile or that new States can be achieved only through the denial or disregard of distinctive aspects of the identity of minorities; that demands by minorities for an equal voice in policymaking will dissipate central authority; that respect for minority languages produces cleavages between ethnic groups or translates into prohibitive government expenditures; or that culturally defined production methods have no place in a modern economy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council and the treaty monitoring bodies are well placed to identify the warning signs of impending conflicts, including those affecting minorities. In October 2009, a United Nations round table on Special Procedures entitled "Early Warning and Emerging Issues" was held in New York. The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief emphasized the contribution that these mechanisms can make to a better understanding of complex situations, for example involving systemic exclusion and discrimination of certain minority groups. Other participants recommended strengthening the capacity of the Special Procedures to contribute to early warning, by ensuring that their recommendations were communicated more effectively to the United Nations field presences, by improving on follow-up to communications to States and by ensuring that data revealing patterns of severe abuses were communicated as early warnings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has established a specific mechanism to address conflicts involving minorities, the High Commissioner on National Minorities. The mandate is informed by the minority rights provisions contained in the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (29 June 1990). The High Commissioner acts as an early warning and early action mechanism, primarily through the use of preventive diplomacy. The High Commissioner can visit countries where tensions have arisen between a minority and the State and engage with representatives of both sides. The High Commissioner uses a problem-solving approach to break down the externally voiced positions into an analysis of needs, interests and aspirations, and propose constructive solutions based on a broad knowledge of approaches worldwide.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- States should involve members of all minority groups in conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Some types of electoral systems may be more conducive than others to the election of minority representatives, and mechanisms specifically designed to enhance minority representation may also be incorporated into the electoral system. The electoral system prescribes how votes are translated into seats and different systems can lead to different outcomes on the same number of votes. The Human Rights Committee has stressed that "[t]he principle of one person, one vote, must apply, and within the framework of each State's electoral system, the vote of one elector should be equal to the vote of another". As a matter of general principle, therefore, each voter has one vote. However, in certain circumstances, in particular where the minority is small and as a special measure to improve the integration of a minority into the political system, members of minorities may have the right to vote for both a minority representative with a reserved seat and a general non-minority representative.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Peace and Security Council mission recommended a meeting of regional Governments, representatives of the Mbororo and local affected communities, to develop a strategy that would help reduce tension in the most sensitive areas, to consider the delimitation of livestock corridors to be used by pastoralists and to discuss national projects to improve Mbororo integration in the national health and education systems, taking into account their lifestyle (mobile schools and health structures). As ever, the challenge remains the implementation of such recommendations, particularly in countries where resources are at a premium. There is a need for continued, sustained dialogue between Governments and communities concerned and an emphasis on follow-up on the recommendations of such fact-finding missions, ideally with the support of international humanitarian agencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation is further upheld in provisions within existing regional human rights treaties. These include the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the American Convention on Human Rights and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights) protects the right to free elections through its Protocol No. 1 (art. 3) and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities creates an obligation for States to ensure the effective participation of persons belonging to national minorities (art. 15). Comparable provisions on the prohibition of discrimination are also contained in the regional human rights treaties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The international legal framework has repeatedly recognized the need for special and concrete measures to protect certain groups with the purpose of guaranteeing them full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The use of special measures is in fact a fundamental component of the realization of the right to non-discrimination. Special measures are not merely permissible under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination but also, in certain circumstances, a requirement. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has emphasized that "the adoption of special measures by States parties when the circumstances so warrant, such as in the case of persistent disparities, is an obligation".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The concept of special measures is relevant for the effective political participation of women and men belonging to minorities as it can facilitate the implementation of minorities' rights to vote and to stand for office. It has been endorsed by the United Nations human rights bodies and by regional human rights institutions. With regard to the right to vote, the Human Rights Committee recognized that "[p]ositive measures should be taken to overcome specific difficulties, such as illiteracy, language barriers, poverty, or impediments to freedom of movement which prevent persons entitled to vote from exercising their rights effectively. Information and materials about voting should be available in minority languages".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- In some States, there is a strong demand from communities to have their traditional governance structures respected. Such structures may include systems whereby elders are consulted by community members and decide on important matters, whether they involve individual members or the community collectively. Communities may also have recognized customary laws or a code of behaviour, and these may or may not be written. Whether written or unwritten, it is critically important that such traditional governance structures include women and other marginalized groups in decision-making positions and apply international human rights principles fully in all aspects of their activities. With this proviso, initiatives whereby traditionally recognized community leaders are incorporated into formal government structures and legislatures are welcome and contribute to a better realization of the right to effective participation. Moreover, elders may play a role in conflict management, for instance by acting as arbiters in disputes between community members.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Effective participation in decision-making processes, particularly in those which have an impact on minorities, is a precondition for the full and equal enjoyment of the human rights of persons belonging to them. There are at least two key lessons to be drawn. The first is the truly essential nature of the right to effective participation: the fulfilment of so many other fundamental human rights is both dependent on and a prerequisite for its fulfilment. The second lesson is that the effectiveness of the political participation of minorities must constantly be evaluated and at all levels of society, in order to ensure that it is real and meaningful. A full set of recommendations can be found in document A/HRC/13/25.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation is a fundamental human right, affirmed in a number of key international legal instruments. Effective participation underpins the realization of all human rights of women and men belonging to ethnic or national, religious and linguistic minorities. It is through effective participation that a person expresses and protects her or his identity, ensuring the survival and dignity of the minority. The right to effective participation recognizes the fact that the participation of minorities in various areas of life is essential for the development of a truly inclusive and just society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Good practice exists at the policy level and in field operations, as illustrated by examples provided by the specialized agencies of the United Nations. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) operates an early warning system in some of its in-country programmes, often using sophisticated computer mapping, which is designed to map specific local conditions, such as movements of security forces and displaced peoples, presence of weapons, availability of basic services and access to water sources. In some situations a process of broad consultations with local communities is incorporated. UNDP has developed a capacity to identify the root causes of conflicts, notably through deployment of peace and development advisers to country teams who help in conducting conflict analyses. Experience has shown that context-specific systems that mix qualitative and quantitative indicators and political analysis are effective, if highly resource intensive.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- In Guyana, a project carried out jointly by the Department of Political Affairs and UNDP seeks to build national capacities for the promotion of reconciliation between ethnic groups, including through the creation of committees to enable community representatives to work out their issues themselves. In Indonesia, the Bureau spent two years working with Christian and Muslim communities, providing space for reconciliation and consensus-building. Issues such as access to civil service jobs and perceptions of respect for ethnic and religious identity were addressed. Significant improvements were achieved in the level of understanding between the communities and in the level of security.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation has more recently been strengthened with regard to groups strongly at risk of marginalization. Article 41 of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families protects the rights of documented and regular migrant workers and their families to participate in the public affairs of their State of origin and to be elected through elections of that State. Perhaps more importantly, article 42 requires the States of employment to facilitate the consultation or participation of migrant workers and members of their families in decisions concerning the life and administration of local communities; States of employment may, moreover, grant migrant workers the enjoyment of political rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- This principle has been articulated in several legal instruments which allow for the adoption of special measures. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination permits the implementation of special measures "for the sole purpose of securing adequate advancement of certain racial or ethnic groups or individuals requiring such protection as may be necessary in order to ensure such groups or individuals equal enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms" (art. 1, para. 4). The Convention goes on (art. 2, para. 2) to refer to special and concrete measures taken by States parties in the social, economic, cultural and other fields, the purpose of which is to guarantee the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women also allows for "temporary special measures" which accelerate the de facto equality between men and women (art. 4, para. 1). At the regional level, the same approach is taken in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which allows States parties to "adopt, where necessary, adequate measures in order to promote, in all areas of economic, social, political and cultural life, full and effective equality between persons belonging to a national minority and those belonging to the majority" (art. 4, para. 2). Special measures do not constitute discrimination and therefore should not be considered such.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Minorities may be given special procedural rights or vetoes in relation to decisions on matters of particular concern to the minority. For example, a minority may be able to veto proposed new legislation in specific areas, or a special majority may be required to pass it. Such special procedures may be confined to particular regions where the minority is concentrated. Where matters are of sufficient importance that stalemate cannot be permitted, there may be special arbitration procedures.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Conflict prevention is not the sole positive outcome of respect for minority rights. Societies flourish when all voices are heard, when all opinions are considered; when all citizens participate; and when the talent that exists in all communities is enabled to contribute to political institutions. Inclusion is good for societies as a whole, not just for those previously left out. Consequently, creating the conditions for the effective participation of minorities should be considered by States as an integral aspect of good governance and a key priority in their efforts to ensure equality and non-discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The Declaration, in articles 4 (2) and 4 (3), establishes positive obligations requiring that States take measures to create favourable conditions to enable persons belonging to minorities to express their characteristics and develop their culture, language, religion, traditions and customs, except where specific practices are in violation of national law and contrary to international standards. It also requires that States take appropriate measures so that, wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn their mother tongue or have instruction in their mother tongue. In terms of good practice, the Constitution of South Africa provides a good example of how recognition of the diversity of identities in the country, and in particular language rights, has contributed to cohesion and a relatively peaceful transition to democracy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Central to the identity of communities are their historical narratives. Inclusion in the national narrative was a central demand of members of minorities in every country the independent expert visited. Inclusion, in that respect, can be achieved through recognition in national policy statements, history textbooks for schools, museums that celebrate the varied cultures of a country and the contributions of all groups to the national identity, and national days of celebration, to name only a few models. Nevertheless, the histories and contributions of minorities are rarely adequately reflected, which contributes to a sense of alienation and exclusion for members of some minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The adequate representation of minorities at all levels and in all branches of the criminal justice system can have particularly important implications for relations between disadvantaged communities and the Government. Negative encounters with police or security forces at the local level shape minority perceptions of their treatment and acceptance by the State. There may be a lack of understanding of issues facing a minority community or of sensitivities relevant to policing, especially in situations in which minorities experience wider societal discrimination. The policing of minority areas by exclusively majority police forces may inflame tensions and, under certain conditions, lead to the outbreak of violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Economic exclusion and denial of access to quality education bring about a sense of despair and destroy hopes of upward mobility. As such they are often a central grievance and a source of tensions. International standards on non discrimination, including the Declaration, place an obligation on States to institute affirmative action policies to correct historical patterns of exclusion and enable members of minorities to achieve equality. Many States have recognized the corrosive nature of inequalities and have implemented such measures. Affirmative action programmes can, however, be a point of contention for majority communities, in particular when poorer members of majority communities perceive that they are losing out. It is important that Governments exercise leadership in educating the larger public, demonstrating that such programmes are based on the principles of justice and equal opportunity and result in fairer and more stable society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Minority participation in Government (the executive or administrative branch) is another crucial form of minority participation, that is, as members of the Cabinet and other such bodies. Measures which may increase minority participation in Government include the allocation to minorities of membership in key committees, advisory bodies or other high-level organs; the creation of high-level bodies to address issues of relevance to minorities, preferably run by members of minorities; and the institutionalization of active consideration of minority issues across relevant ministries through, for example, personnel or a division appointed to address minority concerns within each relevant ministry, the issuance of standing directives, and the creation of inter-ministerial working groups to facilitate coordination. A careful balance between mainstreaming and targeting should be achieved in this regard to make minority participation most effective and to avoid having minority issues marginalized in a single, possibly disempowered, department.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert contributed an article to The State of the World's Minorities and Indigenous Peoples 2009: Education Special, produced by Minority Rights Group International in association with UNICEF. The publication presented the recommendations of the Forum and provided case studies, thematic essays on the problems faced by minorities with respect to education and an analysis of those issues region-wide. In the report, it is highlighted that, globally, 101 million children are out of school: between 50 and 70 per cent are from minorities or indigenous peoples. The publication is widely circulated to all regions and stakeholders including Governments and decision makers, NGOs and a targeted audience in the field of minority rights and education. It has also been provided to all UNICEF regional and country offices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Legal, cultural or linguistic biases may also hinder effective minority participation in public life. High electoral thresholds usually have an adverse effect on the ability of minority communities to secure political representation and can constitute indirect discrimination. Requirements for the registration of political parties can restrict in an unreasonable and disproportionate way the ability of persons belonging to minorities to exercise their freedom of assembly and association. The delineation of electoral districts may distort the distribution of voters, thus having a discriminatory effect on a particular group or resulting in gerrymandering. Constitutional provisions on minority participation are alone insufficient to guarantee effective participation. Specific laws and policies enabling the implementation of such constitutional principles are necessary. The implementation of the latter must, in turn, be monitored and minority participation in their articulation, implementation and monitoring must be secured.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The collection of data disaggregated by ethnicity, age, gender, geographical distribution and other relevant categories is an important precondition for the development of adequate and efficient models of participation of persons belonging to minorities. Such data make it possible to monitor the participation of minorities and ascertain whether fair and representative participation mechanisms have been put in place. The collection of disaggregated data must take place in accordance with international standards on personal data protection, as well as respecting the right of persons belonging to minorities to choose freely to be treated or not as minorities. Representatives of minorities should be involved in the process of data collection, and the data collection methods should be designed in close cooperation with them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The mandate of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) does not explicitly encompass conflict prevention; however, UNICEF both generates and monitors country-specific data that reveal situations of emerging conflict. Its activities focusing on the most marginalized and vulnerable women and children position it uniquely to play the kind of early prevention role with respect to minority rights that is contemplated by this report. Given that minority children are often the most disadvantaged, there is a sound basis for the engagement of UNICEF in minority issues. With a wide network of offices worldwide, UNICEF is in an important position to encourage the introduction of minority issues on Government public policy agendas, to support Government efforts and directly deliver assistance to minority children and women. The UNICEF field presence is common in conflict zones, and its focus on protection issues makes it an institution with key relevance to conflict prevention. At UNICEF headquarters, there is a cluster of professionals whose portfolios include minority rights issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination which inhibits the political participation of minorities may manifest itself in, among others: a type of electoral system which negatively affects minority representation; political parties which are adverse to minority issues and minority membership; widespread prejudice among the electorate which punishes parties willing to include minority candidates or voice minority issues; media which are hostile to minority concerns and participation. Given the centrality of the issue of discrimination to the right to effective participation, Governments should consider instituting independent monitoring and individual complaints mechanisms, such as the ombudsperson's function adopted in a number of countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- States should monitor economic development projects to assess their impact on minorities, to ensure that they benefit equally with others, and that there is no detrimental effect on their rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- States should collect disaggregated data concerning the access of all sectors of society to economic opportunities and political decision-making. Data should be disaggregated by ethnicity and gender to highlight patterns of inequality that have an impact on minority women in different ways than on minority men. Data collection programmes should be designed with the involvement of representatives of minority communities, should allow for diverse forms of self-identification and should provide effective guarantees of data protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Recognition of minorities is essential to secure the rights of minority groups in a State, including the right to effective participation. Since non-recognition hinders the enjoyment of internationally established rights, it ultimately leads to the marginalization of minorities and their exclusion from political processes. Recognition based on self-identification is the first step in the process of securing minority rights and safeguarding the position of members of minorities as equal members of the society.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Discussions about pooling the outputs of the early warning systems of the various funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations and the possible development of a common system have not made significant progress owing to the complexities of the systems and the different needs of each body. An achievable aim could be to pool best practices to be made available to United Nations Headquarters and in-country teams, particularly with regard to innovative new practice using computer technology to compile and process large quantities of context-specific data.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert on minority issues, under the mandate established by the Commission on Human Rights in 2005, has the potential to make a positive contribution to the prevention or peaceful resolution of tensions involving minorities, including by addressing issues of long standing and structural discrimination at the earliest opportunity. In the reports of the independent expert on her missions, she has repeatedly made recommendations to address such situations, based on the concerns voiced by both minority representatives and Government officials.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Another interesting example of good practice is the fact-finding mission organized by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to look into the situation of the migratory pastoralist Mbororo community. The Mbororo have been spreading in migrating waves across the countries in question over thousands of years. The mission was triggered by the increasing occurrence of conflict between the Mbororo and local settled agriculturalist communities with whom they entered into contact.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, all forms of racial discrimination are explicitly prohibited and equality in the enjoyment of political rights is guaranteed by the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (art. 5). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women creates an obligation on States to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country (art. 7).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The High Commissioner has developed a number of guidelines to help national and international actors to address issues that have a potential to cause conflict, including education, language rights, political participation and the involvement of "kin States" (States whose majority community is ethnically related to a minority in a neighbouring State).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Additionally, while there has been added emphasis placed on the prevention of certain specific crimes, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, violent conflicts that do not fit those definitions may also warrant additional attention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Accurate voters' registers are another important precondition for enabling the effective political participation of minorities. Voter registration must be implemented in a non-discriminatory way, taking into account the special needs of minorities as they may arise in the areas of language, cultural appropriateness and accessibility of registration processes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- As the former President of the General Assembly, Jan Eliasson, proclaimed, "What a qualitative difference we could have in the United Nations if we moved the focus from the late stages of conflict to the early stages, if we were to spend more time on smoke detection rather than taking care of a house that has already burned down" (A/60/PV.98, p. 4).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- It is therefore paramount that the participation mechanisms be continuously re-examined and evaluated to ensure that they allow for effective participation. As circumstances and realities change over time, the participation mechanisms should be reviewed and, if necessary, adjusted. This, however, should not result in the curtailing of the acquired rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, a conflict prevention bureau within UNDP, currently has no focal point on minorities either; however, UNDP has recently enhanced its understanding of minority issues in development processes through a series of workshops resulting in a resource guide and toolkit for UNDP field staff, which includes guidance on addressing conflict situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- Historically, channels of communication between the human rights institutions in Geneva and the peace and security bodies in New York have not been optimal. A number of significant improvements have taken place, notably the enhancement of the status of a New York presence of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, now headed by an Assistant Secretary-General, and regular briefings to the Security Council by the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Reflecting on the experience of regional intergovermental organizations, including OSCE, the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, established in 2003 to consider how the United Nations should address newly arising security, environmental and developmental challenges, recommended that the United Nations build on the experience of regional organizations in developing frameworks for minority rights (A/59/565, para. 94).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 109
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations should continue to make efforts to share the experiences of a variety of agencies with early warning methodologies, including those systems which combine quantitative and qualitative indicators, and should incorporate minority rights indicators so that all agencies, departments and country offices can draw on the best available practice.
- 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
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In such situations Governments may become nervous when ethnic, religious or linguistic groups attempt to assert their identity. There may be an assumption that what those groups want is to separate themselves from the State. However, many conflicts involving minorities start as peaceful demands to be included in the society on the basis of equal treatment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- The most appropriate system will depend on the specificities of the situation, including how populous the communities are, whether they are geographically dispersed or concentrated, the aspirations of the minority groups and how well integrated they are into the broader society. The flexibility of the minority rights framework makes it well suited to the compromises necessary in processes of negotiating solutions, diffusing tensions and avoiding violent conflicts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Peace agreements at the end of internal armed conflicts often include some kind of power-sharing institutional arrangement. However, modalities for including minorities in political structures could usefully be identified at earlier stages to avoid conflict. Respecting the right of minorities to political participation at times of peace contributes to harmonious societies and opens non-violent avenues for the grievances of minorities to be addressed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The reality - and often the perception - of discrimination in access to any kind of resources, whether in relation to jobs, land ownership, political power or natural resources, is a strong driver of conflict. The Declaration states, in article 4 (1), that "States shall take measures where required to ensure that persons belonging to minorities may exercise fully and effectively all their human rights and fundamental freedoms without any discrimination and in full equality before the law".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- To fulfil their human rights obligations and also as a measure to increase stability and improve inclusive governance, States should implement fully the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, through a process of consultation and cooperation with minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- States should implement comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, including measures to prohibit discrimination by both State and private actors. Legislation must provide for effective, transparent enforcement mechanisms which can be accessed easily by all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- An analysis framework is used by the Special Adviser's office to identify threats to minority communities at an early stage. In addition to genocide-specific indicators, such as the demonization of minority communities and a history of genocide in the country, it includes indicators of broader significance to minorities, such as conflicts over land, power, security and expressions of group identity, such as language, religion and culture, and attacks on cultural and religious property and symbols.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- As with the mandate of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, the focus of the institutional mechanisms that are being developed to implement the concept of the responsibility to protect will be limited to specific crimes. A broader focus on minority rights protections as a tool for protection from conflict will need to be the task of other mechanisms.
- 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
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- The second session of the Forum on Minority Issues was held in Geneva on 12 and 13 November 2009 on the thematic subject of "Minorities and Effective Political Participation." The Forum's recommendations will be presented to the Human Rights Council at its current session (A/HRC/13/25). The Forum was honoured to have as Chairperson United States Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Chairperson of the Congressional Black Caucus.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Human Rights Council resolution 6/15 invites the independent expert to include in her annual report recommendations for thematic subjects to be examined at future sessions of the Forum on Minority Issues. To date, the independent expert has received the following suggestions: minorities and poverty; access to justice; minorities and the media; and the situation of minority children.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Political participation of minorities encompasses a broad range of decision- and policymaking processes and mechanisms in the legislative, executive, self-governance and traditional spheres. Moreover, participation takes place at the local, regional (i.e. subnational), national as well as international levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 103
- Paragraph text
- Minority rights expertise should be strengthened and integrated comprehensively across the United Nations system. Given the prevalence of conflicts involving identity issues, permanent in-house expertise on minority issues within the principal agencies and departments working on conflict prevention would be highly beneficial.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 105
- Paragraph text
- Consideration should be given to adding an expert on minority rights to the standby team of mediation experts in the Department of Political Affairs. Additional consideration could be given to involving the team in country situations at an earlier point on the conflict continuum that runs between the expression of grievances to the outbreak of violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- The following sections of this report summarize the relevant basic international legal principles, the preconditions for ensuring effective political participation by minorities, and some of the models and conceptual tools that States are using in order to meet their international obligations in this domain.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Effective participation should give minorities a stake in society. Measures taken towards ensuring the effective participation of minorities contribute to the alleviation of tensions, and thus serve the purpose of conflict prevention. Therefore, in addition to being a legal obligation, creating the conditions for the effective participation of minorities should be considered by States to be an integral aspect of good governance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation of persons belonging to minorities is far-reaching and encompasses many aspects of what constitutes a just society. The right to effective participation includes participation in political decision-making at both the local and national levels. In addition, persons belonging to minorities should be given the means to participate effectively in the cultural, religious, social and economic spheres of their societies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Public participation is a broad concept. It comprises the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs, the right to vote and to be elected, and to have access to public services. Moreover, it entails participation in governmental bodies, the judiciary and other agencies of the criminal justice system, decentralized and local forms of government, consultation mechanisms, as well as through cultural or territorial autonomy arrangements.
- 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
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The human rights principle of non-discrimination is crucial. The exclusion of minorities from fully participating in political processes is primarily grounded in discrimination. Affirmative measures, time-bound and specifically designed to address systematic, historic and institutionalized discrimination, must be employed to enable minorities to participate effectively, especially if this would otherwise remain out of their reach.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The right of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities to participate effectively in cultural, religious, social, economic and public life is further affirmed in the 1992 Declaration on Minorities ("the Declaration").
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires that States ensure that "persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected" (art. 29).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- In a number of cases, the European Court assessed situations in which States prevented persons belonging to minorities from establishing associations aimed at furthering the cultural and political interests of the groups. The Court found that such interference constituted a violation of article 11 of the European Convention, which safeguards the freedom of assembly and association.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Equal access for all communities to employment in public services can become a highly contentious issue, especially in countries where such jobs form a large proportion of the available labour market. In countries where political power is seen to be concentrated in the hands of one or a few identity groups, it is common for those groups to be disproportionately represented in the public service, which can be a powerful source of tension.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 106
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations should develop an inter-agency guidance note on addressing minority issues to include, inter alia: how to consult with minority communities in order to capture the diversity of positions; how to involve civil society organizations working with minority communities in United Nations conflict prevention work; and how to develop context-specific early warning indicators.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- One of the possible benefits of placing more emphasis on minority rights as a tool for conflict prevention may be that it not only facilitates earlier warnings of troubled societies, but also that the corresponding corrective measures are relatively less costly politically. That would increase the likelihood of action being taken earlier.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- A range of legal and political mechanisms have been used around the world to increase the political participation of minorities at the local, regional and national levels in legislative, executive and administrative bodies. While minority representation is in itself important, consideration must also be given to the mechanisms needed to ensure that minority issues are addressed effectively in the governmental process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- States should monitor the participation of minorities in all areas of economic life, including allocation of jobs within public services, to ensure that members of all communities have equal access without discrimination. Requirements, including language qualifications for public service jobs, should not result in the effective exclusion of minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Where there are historical patterns of exclusion of members of minorities from employment, business and education opportunities, States should implement capacity-building programmes and other affirmative action measures to enable members of minorities, including minority women, to compete on an equal footing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Public proclamations regarding national identity, for example in the constitution, and key national symbols should be fully inclusive, and should not exclude segments of a country's population nor deny, explicitly or implicitly, the full diversity of the population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- National human rights institutions should have mandates that explicitly include the protection and promotion of minority rights and expertise in the field of minority rights. Consideration should be given to establishing dedicated consultative and advisory bodies to help ensure that minority issues are adequately addressed at the national and local levels.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Legislative representation is a key mechanism for minority participation, enabling access for minorities to all levels of legislative representation in national parliaments, regional legislatures and local, municipal assemblies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Unless the minority population constitutes a majority in an electoral district, the election of representatives of minority-based parties is more likely to be successful under proportional representation systems, where the cumulative votes of minorities are taken into account. Reducing the registration requirements for political parties may facilitate the creation of new minority-focused parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Electoral systems often have a threshold percentage of votes which parties must obtain in order to have a representative in parliament. This may be modified either generally or in the area where a minority is concentrated, in order to permit the creation of parties that represent small minorities. Conversely, high thresholds will inhibit minority representation as minority parties will often be unable to gain sufficient votes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Consultative mechanisms can provide useful opportunities for minority participation as supplements when equal participation in elected bodies is insufficient because the minority community is too small to impact an election. Such consultative bodies can be ad hoc, set up to address a particular issue, or they can be formalized structures at the national, regional and local levels. They may be general, such as minority round tables, or related to specific matters, such as housing, land, education, language or culture. They may be part of the institutional structure of Government and there may be a legal requirement that they be consulted on particular matters. For such mechanisms to be effective, it is important that consultative bodies have a clear legal status, that the obligation to consult them is established in law and that their involvement in decision-making processes is of a regular, meaningful and permanent nature. Such bodies should be properly resourced and attention should be paid to the representativeness of their members, who should be chosen by the minority community through transparent procedures. It is important that the members appointed have the requisite qualifications to carry out the work and that they be truly representative, including of minority women. Finally, these structures must be commensurate with the needs of minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Limited territorial autonomy allows minorities to exercise a wide range of participatory rights within a specific region in which the minority is concentrated. Since it is based on the spatial principle, the advantage of territorial autonomy is that it enables problems to be resolved without necessarily entrenching societal divisions. Indeed, territorial autonomy has been used to accommodate the demands of linguistic or cultural minorities. Territorial autonomy can enable the fair representation of minorities in regional legislatures and in the executive. Such arrangements should provide for the protection of minority languages, their use in public life, as well as education about and preservation of minority cultures, thus accommodating the demands of linguistic and cultural rights. The link with the central Government can be strengthened by regional representation at the centre. There are successful examples of how territorial autonomy has defused tensions, actually strengthened the sense of inclusion and provided the basis for the preservation of minority communities. However, if not carefully designed, autonomous arrangements may lead to a further fragmentation of the State. Moreover, arrangements should be made to ensure the rights of smaller "minorities within minorities", through power-sharing, cultural autonomy and devolution to local authorities.
- 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
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Equally, efforts must be made to give voice to the diversity of members within minority communities, including women, youth and the elderly, and to interest groups such as returning internally displaced persons. The participation of civil society in debates over models for inclusion is essential.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Further issues of importance regarding patterns of discrimination are presented by international development cooperation. In some countries, programmes to promote development implemented by Governments and external donors fail to take into account the inequalities between communities, the unique circumstances of minorities or the possible need for special measures to ensure that minority communities also benefit from such initiatives. Further, minorities may be adversely affected, for example through displacement by large-scale projects such as dams and natural resource extraction, or as a result of the negative environmental impact of such projects. As noted in the report of the independent expert on minorities, poverty and the Millennium Development Goals, conflict prevention is one reason why monitoring poverty alleviation among persons belonging to minorities is crucial: if strategies are successful for some groups but not for minorities, inequalities will increase and so too may tension. Inclusive participation strategies for poverty reduction are proven and effective conflict prevention measures (see A/HRC/4/9, para. 43).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- According to a statistical assessment carried out by Minority Rights Group International, over 55 per cent of violent conflicts of a significant intensity between 2007 and 2009 had at their core violations of minority rights or tensions between communities. In a further 22 per cent of conflicts, minority issues had emerged or receded in the course of the evolution of the conflict. Those figures indicate that Governments, donors and intergovernmental organizations need to allocate significant attention and resources to minority issues as sources of conflict. However, the current picture in this regard is mixed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Several factors and challenges can exacerbate this exclusion of minorities, including deteriorating economic conditions, ethnic tensions and rising discrimination. In some countries, unequal regional distribution of resources and services as well as lack of basic infrastructure in regions where minorities live often have the effect of excluding them from fully exercising their economic and social rights. The past decade has also brought into the picture new and unanticipated challenges, including the global food and economic crises that have been proven to have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups and minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Poor education and economic opportunities commonly affect women members of disadvantaged minorities disproportionately. Women may face a scarcity of employment opportunities and discriminatory hiring practices based on prejudice against their minority group. Women generally share a disproportionate burden of caregiving, especially when poverty denies any possible respite or help. The heavy burden imposed on individuals and entire communities by the lack of options often fuels a disturbing culture of domestic violence. Levels of economic exclusion can be compounded by discrimination in access to other rights, for example civil and political rights, leaving women very limited access to the criminal justice system for their domestic violence cases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- A frequent source of conflict worldwide is discrimination and inequality in relation to land and property. For minority communities, often located in remote rural areas, the land and territories on which they live are a source of food security and income generation as well as being vital to the preservation of minority cultures, traditions and collective identity. However, some minorities find that their rights to own, occupy and use land are limited or violated and they may find themselves displaced or evicted, in some cases to make way for national economic development schemes, the activities of multinational corporations or for natural resources development. Land and property issues should consequently be given close attention in respect of conflict prevention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- As an illustrative example, in the late 1990s the High Commissioner monitored the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and became very concerned about grievances of the ethnic Albanian population, particularly with respect to access to Albanian-language university-level education and other language rights, as well as the right to run their own media outlets and political participation. He issued an early warning within OSCE and also took a project-oriented approach to easing tensions around the contentious language issue. The High Commissioner persuaded the Government to adopt a new language law permitting private universities to offer instruction in languages other than Macedonian. He then raised the funds to establish a new university that would offer instruction in Albanian.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- By its resolution 60/1 of 16 September 2005, the General Assembly adopted the 2005 World Summit Outcome, in which the States Members of the United Nations conceptualized a principle that is of prime importance to the protection of minorities: the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, more commonly known as "the responsibility to protect". This concept recognizes the duty of the international community to intervene to protect populations when their own Governments cannot or lack the will to do so. It prioritizes above all the use of appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, before legitimate force is contemplated through Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.
- 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
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- A number of offices and agencies within the United Nations system have information assessment, early warning and conflict prevention functions. The Department of Political Affairs is the lead agency for conflict prevention and peacemaking. Within the Department, the standby team of mediation experts, an innovative unit established in March 2008, plays an important role. The team is on call to provide expertise on specific issues to United Nations initiatives to mediate in situations of conflict or potential conflict. This team has provided support and advice to peacemaking and dialogue efforts in several situations involving minorities, including Darfur, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines. The Department has a focal point on indigenous peoples, but not one on minorities. The standby team currently includes an expert on power-sharing, but does not include a professional with more comprehensive expertise on minority rights. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also has an Early Warning and Contingency Planning Section.
- 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
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The Inter-Agency Framework for Coordination on Preventative Action (Framework team) is an informal forum for inter-agency exchange of information and collaboration involving 21 different United Nations entities (A/64/864, paras. 7 13). The Framework team is a mechanism that shares information on potential crises and works together to support the development of inter-agency conflict prevention initiatives. As such it is a key part of the United Nations conflict prevention architecture. The Framework team is designed to support the Resident Coordinator and the United Nations country team in countries that show early signs that a situation, whether at the regional, national or subnational level, is likely to lead to violence. The programme initiatives are designed to address the issues at the early upstream stage in the conflict cycle, so that the situation does not escalate into overt conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- It is for these reasons that the independent expert on minority issues chose effective political participation as the theme of the second session of the Forum on Minority Issues, held in Geneva on 12 and 13 November 2009. It should be underscored from the outset that the right of minorities to effective political participation does not encompass separatist movements. Rather, the intent is to ensure the inclusion of all persons belonging to minorities in a just and fair society. This background document summarizes the relevant basic international legal principles, the preconditions for ensuring effective political participation, and some of the models and conceptual tools that States are using in order to meet their international obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- While no single, one-size-fits-all solution exists to ensure proper implementation of the right to effective participation, a number of features of participation models and mechanisms can be identified. As regards the choice of a particular electoral system, international law does not impose any specific solution either. The Human Rights Committee has held that "the system must be compatible with the rights protected by article 25 (of the Covenant) and must guarantee and give effect to the free expression of the will of the electors".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- To eliminate discrimination and achieve full equality, not only in law but also effectively in practice, the Human Rights Committee has held that States parties are sometimes required to "take affirmative action in order to diminish or eliminate conditions which cause or help to perpetuate discrimination prohibited by the Covenant", and that "[s]uch action may involve granting for a time to the part of the population concerned certain preferential treatment in specific matters as compared with the rest of the population … as long as such action is needed to correct discrimination in fact".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Concerning a national legal requirement for a political party to adopt a structure which was alien to indigenous peoples' customs if it was to be allowed to participate in elections, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held that such imposition constituted a discriminatory impediment to equal participation in elections. The Court, moreover, determined that the universal rights of equality and political participation give rise to an obligation on the State to adopt affirmative and targeted measures to guarantee equal participation of indigenous groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The history of the development of minority rights at the United Nations has been closely linked to the need to address tensions between minorities and the State, and between population groups. The 1992 Declaration on Minorities states in its preamble that the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to such minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live. The drafting of the Declaration began in 1978, and received added impetus with the break-up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. The importance attached to the Declaration was summed up by the representative of Austria, who, speaking before the Third Committee, observed that it should not be filed and forgotten, but implemented and filled with life, so as to contribute to overcoming situations of tension relating to minorities (see A/C.3/47/SR.47, para. 89).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Minorities are often the targets, rather than the perpetrators, of violence. When minority rights are violated, members of minorities may be at a greater risk of being subjected to systematic violence, even when they are bystanders to a conflict involving other parties. Such incidents can happen as a result of minorities' poverty and exclusion from political decision-making processes, or because their often remote communities, poorly served by State infrastructure, can become targets for occupation for strategic purposes or for exploitation of natural resources. Furthermore, owing to the suspicion and prejudice with which they are often viewed by both members of the majority and security forces, minorities may be targeted with impunity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The views of the independent expert have been developed through visits to countries in almost every region of the world, thematic reports and policy debates that she has facilitated at the Forum on Minority Issues. She has consulted widely with Governments, experts and non-governmental organizations. She has participated in seminars and forums in the field of early warning and conflict prevention. In addition, she has held consultations with numerous key actors, including the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, including discussions relating to, inter alia, how efforts could be coordinated to identify potential threats to the existence of minorities and how to better coordinate conflict prevention work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- In countries where political power is seen to be concentrated in the hands of one or a few identity groups, it is common for those groups to be disproportionately represented in the public service, which can be a powerful source of tension. The adequate representation of minorities at all levels and in all branches of the criminal justice system, for example, can have particularly important implications for relations between disadvantaged communities and the Government. Negative encounters with police or security forces at the local level shape minority perceptions of their treatment and acceptance by the State.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Economic exclusion and denial of access to quality education bring about a sense of despair, destroy hopes of upward mobility and are often a central grievance and a source of tensions. International standards on non-discrimination place an obligation on States to institute affirmative action policies to correct historical patterns of exclusion and enable members of minorities to achieve equality. Many States have recognized the corrosive nature of inequalities and have implemented such measures. Affirmative action programmes can, however, be a point of contention for majority communities, in particular when poorer members of majority communities perceive that they are losing out. It is important that Governments exercise leadership in educating the larger public, demonstrating that such programmes are based on the principles of justice and equal opportunity and result in fairer and more stable society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The most appropriate system will depend on the specificities of the situation, including how populous the communities are, whether they are geographically dispersed or concentrated, the aspirations of the minority groups and how well integrated they are into the broader society. The flexibility of the minority rights framework makes it well suited to the compromises necessary in processes of negotiating solutions, diffusing tensions and avoiding violent conflicts. In November 2009, the second session of the Forum on Minority Issues focused on the issue of minorities and effective political participation and produced a set of practical recommendations for States and other actors (A/HRC/13/25, para. 5).
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Respecting the right of minorities to political participation at times of peace contributes to harmonious societies and opens non-violent avenues for the grievances of minorities to be addressed. When violent conflict does occur in diverse societies, applying a minority rights-based approach to consultations regarding peace agreements will require that all communities affected by the conflict, including those that are not active parties to it, be able to participate in the settlement process. That approach should counteract a tendency common in many conflict situations, whereby Governments, and the international community, focus predominately on addressing the demands of communities that are linked to armed movements, which may result in peace agreements that guarantee rights for some communities at the expense of others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- At the core of minority rights are the protection and preservation of culturally distinctive identities within societies. The denigration or suppression of the defining identity of a person or group can be a powerful factor in generating conflict. Repressive measures to control or restrict religious or traditional practices or force assimilation can galvanize opposition and create a common platform around which targeted communities can rally. Language, in particular, is a potent vehicle of culture. The imposition on minority communities of a majority language, either through teaching in public schools or formal prohibitions on the use of minority languages, has been a spark that has ignited many violent clashes in every region.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- According to a statistical assessment carried out by Minority Rights Group International, over 55 per cent of violent conflicts of a significant intensity between 2007 and 2009 had at their core violations of minority rights or tensions between communities. In a further 22 per cent of conflicts, minority issues had emerged or receded in the course of the evolution of the conflict. Those figures indicate that Governments, donors and intergovernmental organizations need to allocate significant attention and resources to minority issues as sources of conflict. However, the current picture in this regard is mixed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Clearly it is necessary to combine monitoring of patterns of economic and political exclusion, for example, with an analysis of the political and social context, allowing for an identification of the risk of escalation that is as accurate as possible. Better insight is needed into why certain situations of systematic exclusion escalate from chronic grievances to violent conflict. It may be due to numerous factors, such as the building up of pressure over time to intolerable levels; regime change (many studies have found a link between political transitions and increased incidence of conflict); or a specific, highly symbolic trigger, perhaps linked to an affront to a community's identity such as the denial of status to a minority language.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- It is the view of the independent expert that much bloodshed and suffering and many setbacks in the process of national development could be avoided if Governments took a proactive approach to minority rights, putting protections in place long before tensions erupted. Societies in which mechanisms are in place allowing minorities freely to use their language, practice their culture and religion, and participate in political and economic life on an equal footing with the rest of the population are less likely to be societies in which tensions deteriorate into violent conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Discussions about pooling the outputs of the early warning systems of the various funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations and the possible development of a common system have not made significant progress owing to the complexities of the systems and the different needs of each body. An achievable aim could be to pool best practices to be made available to United Nations Headquarters and in-country teams, particularly with regard to innovative new practice using computer technology to compile and process large quantities of context-specific data.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Reflecting on the experience of regional inter-governmental organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, established in 2003 to consider how the United Nations should address newly arising security, environmental and developmental challenges, recommended that the United Nations build on the experience of regional organizations in developing frameworks for minority rights (A/59/565, para. 94).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Conflict prevention is not the sole positive outcome of respect for minority rights. Societies flourish when all voices are heard, when all opinions are considered; when all citizens participate; and when the talent that exists in all communities is enabled to contribute to political institutions. Inclusion is good for societies as a whole, not just for those previously left out. Consequently, creating the conditions for the effective participation of minorities should be considered by States as an integral aspect of good governance and a key priority in their efforts to ensure equality and non-discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Consequently, the rights of minorities to participate effectively in economic life must be fully taken into account by Governments seeking to promote equality at every level. From implementing non-discrimination in employment to enforcing corporate responsibility principles and developing national economic development and international development assistance schemes, Governments face the constant challenge of ensuring that the rights of minorities are protected and that they benefit as equal stakeholders in society. In their response to the current global crisis, development agencies, financial institutions and other actors involved in international cooperation also face the challenge of ensuring that measures taken do not negatively impact minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In his landmark report to the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations in 2000, the Secretary-General stated that in many countries at war, the condition of poverty was coupled with sharp ethnic or religious cleavages, and that almost invariably, the rights of subordinate groups were insufficiently respected, the institutions of Government were insufficiently inclusive and the allocation of society's resources favoured the dominant faction over others. He added that the solution was clear: to promote human rights, to protect minority rights and to institute political arrangements in which all groups were represented, and that every group needed to become convinced that the State belonged to all people (A/54/2000, paras. 202-203).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (A/CONF.189/12 and Corr.1, chap. I), the outcome document of the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, the participating States expressed their concern that socio-economic development was being hampered by widespread internal conflicts which were due, among other causes, to gross violations of human rights, including those arising from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and from lack of democratic, inclusive and participatory governance. It urged States to recognize that techniques, mechanisms, policies and programmes for reconciling conflicts based on factors related to race, colour, descent, language, religion, or national or ethnic origin and for developing harmonious multiracial and multicultural societies needed to be systematically considered and developed (ibid., paras. 21 and 171).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- In 1994, States members of the Organization of African Unity reaffirmed their deep conviction that friendly relations among their peoples as well as peace, justice, stability and democracy, called for the protection of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of all their people including national minorities and the creation of conditions conducive to the promotion of that identity. In the Americas, the Inter-American Democratic Charter stresses that the elimination of discrimination and respect for cultural diversity contribute to strengthening democracy and citizen participation, which in turn are necessary for ensuring peace, stability and development. In the Copenhagen Document of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, the participating States reaffirmed that respect for the rights of persons belonging to national minorities as part of universally recognized human rights was an essential factor for peace, justice, stability and democracy in the participating States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- The Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity at Oxford University has undertaken detailed quantitative and qualitative research into conflict and horizontal inequalities (inequalities between ethnic, religious or linguistic communities) in 8 countries in three regions, and statistical desk research in 55 countries. The Centre concluded that in the top 5 per cent of countries with the greatest socio-economic inequalities, the risk of conflict is tripled when compared with the average. The risk of conflict increases again if socio-economic inequalities are combined with inequality in access to political decision-making, and inequality in cultural status adds a further risk factor.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- OSCE has established a specific mechanism to address conflicts involving minorities, the High Commissioner on National Minorities. The High Commissioner acts as an early warning and early action mechanism, primarily through the use of preventive diplomacy. The High Commissioner can visit countries, engage with representatives of all sides, and propose constructive solutions based on a broad knowledge of approaches worldwide. The High Commissioner has developed a number of guidelines to help national and international actors to address issues that have a potential to cause conflict, including education, language rights, political participation and the involvement of "kin States" (States whose majority community is ethnically related to a minority in a neighbouring State).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 82
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- States should collect disaggregated data concerning the access of all sectors of society to economic opportunities and political decision-making. Data should be disaggregated by ethnicity and gender to highlight patterns of inequality that have an impact on minority women in different ways than on minority men. Data collection programmes should be designed with the involvement of representatives of minority communities, should allow for diverse forms of self-identification and should provide effective guarantees of data protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 92
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- United Nations country teams should analyse the extent to which discrimination on ethnic, religious and linguistic grounds creates disparities in outcomes relating to their programming. Country teams should promote and support the collection of disaggregated data on minorities. All existing programmes should be assessed and revised based on that analysis. Minority communities should participate fully at all stages of programming from research and design to monitoring and evaluation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- To denigrate a community's identity as inferior or stereotype it as violent, criminal or "foreign" is discriminatory, a violation of rights and may constitute incitement to racial or religious hatred. It impacts negatively on community members' sense of inclusion in the national identity and encourages prejudicial attitudes and even violent attacks on the community by members of the public. The slope is steep and slippery between statements of disrespect coming from national leaders and hate crimes committed by individuals who feel they have been given license.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict concluded that time and again in the twentieth century, attempts at suppression of ethnic, cultural or religious differences had led to bloodshed, and in case after case, the accommodation of diversity within appropriate constitutional forms had helped to prevent bloodshed. The Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has conducted research showing that the likelihood of conflict increases with rising group inequality. The Minorities at Risk Project at the University of Maryland monitors indicators for political discrimination, cultural and economic exclusion and persecution on 283 minority groups around the world, and has found a significant link between conflict and those forms of denial of rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- An analysis framework is used by the Special Adviser's office to identify threats to minority communities at an early stage. In addition to genocide-specific indicators, such as the demonization of minority communities and a history of genocide in the country, it includes indicators of broader significance to minorities, such as conflicts over land, power, security and expressions of group identity, such as language, religion and culture, and attacks on cultural and religious property and symbols. The Special Adviser's office is privy to an enormous flow of information generated by sources inside and external to the United Nations system. The Special Adviser's gauge for sifting through that information flow is calibrated for precursors to genocide: a focus that is limited, fortunately, to a small number of situations. There is a need for additional tools that focus on chronic abuses of minority rights at the earliest stages, to identify situations needing more upstream preventive action.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- States should involve members of all minority groups in conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The reality - and often the perception - of discrimination in access to any kind of resources, whether in relation to jobs, land ownership, political power or natural resources, is a strong driver of conflict. The 1992 Declaration on Minorities states, in article 4, paragraph 1, that "States shall take measures where required to ensure that persons belonging to minorities may exercise fully and effectively all their human rights and fundamental freedoms without any discrimination and in full equality before the law".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Poor education and economic opportunities commonly affect women members of disadvantaged minorities disproportionately. Women may face a scarcity of employment opportunities and discriminatory hiring practices based on prejudice against their minority group. Women generally share a disproportionate burden of care-giving, especially when poverty denies any possible respite or help. The heavy burden imposed on individuals and entire communities by the lack of options often fuels a disturbing culture of domestic violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The tragic events in Rwanda and in the former Yugoslavia gave new impetus to efforts by the United Nations to protect minorities - described by the Secretary-General as "genocide's most frequent targets". In 2004, the Secretary-General established the mandate of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. The principal objective of the Special Adviser is to advise the Secretary-General and the Security Council on actions to protect vulnerable populations from genocide. The Office of the Special Adviser attempts to identify a range of potential threats to minority populations at an early stage and make recommendations regarding constructive management of cultural diversity issues.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Minority rights violations are often among the root causes of conflicts that have long gestation periods, root causes grounded in grievances that may bubble under the surface for years, or even decades, before violent conflict breaks out. Incorporating minority rights indicators into early warning systems would enable an earlier identification of potential conflicts. Other more technical early warning indicators, such as small arms flows and movements of displaced peoples, tend to reflect a situation that is already rapidly spiraling into violence. By the time those indicators trigger attention, grievances may have festered for decades, perhaps generations - generations of lost opportunities to heal rifts, avert conflict and build a cohesive society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- In the 2005 World Summit Outcome, States Members of the United Nations conceptualized a principle that is of prime importance to the protection of minorities: the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity - "the responsibility to protect". This concept recognizes the duty of the international community to intervene to protect populations when their own Governments cannot or lack the will to do so. It prioritizes above all the use of appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, before legitimate force is contemplated. The focus of the institutional mechanisms that are being developed to implement the concept of the responsibility to protect will be limited to specific crimes. A broader focus on minority rights protections as a tool for protection from conflict will need to be the task of other mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Several United Nations offices and agencies have information assessment, early warning and conflict prevention functions. The Department of Political Affairs is the lead agency for conflict prevention and peacemaking. Within the Department, the standby team of mediation experts, an innovative unit established in March 2008, plays an important role. The team is on call to provide expertise on specific issues to United Nations initiatives to mediate in situations of conflict or potential conflict. This team has provided support and advice to peacemaking and dialogue efforts in several situations involving minorities, including Darfur, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines. The Department has a focal point on indigenous peoples, but not one on minorities. The standby team also does not include a professional with comprehensive expertise on minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Central to the identity of communities are their historical narratives. Inclusion, in that respect, can be achieved through recognition in national policy statements, history textbooks for schools, museums that celebrate the varied cultures of a country and the contributions of all groups to the national identity, and national days of celebration, to name only a few models. Nevertheless, the histories and contributions of minorities are rarely adequately reflected, which contributes to a sense of alienation and exclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 102
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The 1992 Declaration on Minorities, in article 4, paragraphs2 and 3, establishes positive obligations requiring that States take measures to create favourable conditions to enable persons belonging to minorities to express their characteristics and develop their culture, language, religion, traditions and customs. It also requires that States take appropriate measures so that persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn and have instruction in their mother tongue.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- Minorities are too often seen as a threat to the State and/or national unity. Governments may hold the erroneous views that national unity is fragile or that new States can be achieved only through the denial or disregard of distinctive aspects of the identity of minorities; that demands by minorities for an equal voice in policymaking will dissipate central authority; that respect for minority languages produces cleavages between ethnic groups or translates into prohibitive government expenditures; or that culturally defined production methods have no place in a modern economy. In such situations Governments may become nervous when ethnic, religious or linguistic groups attempt to assert their identity. There may be an assumption that what those groups want is to separate themselves from the State. However, many conflicts involving minorities start as peaceful demands to be included in the society on the basis of equal treatment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Many States are engaged in ongoing efforts to accommodate the interests of diverse communities. It is critical that the process be guided by the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination. Communities that may be more populous, that have greater disruptive capacities or military strength or that may be more successful in commerce may emerge at an early stage as the principle contenders for distribution of political power and State resources. However, under such conditions, minority rights must be prioritized, enabling members of all minority groups to participate effectively in decisions affecting them and in all aspects of society. Efforts must be made to give voice to the diversity of members within minority communities, including women, youth and the elderly.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The Inter-Agency Framework for Coordination on Preventative Action (Framework team) is an informal forum for inter-agency exchange of information and collaboration involving 21 different United Nations entities (A/64/864, paras. 7-13). The Framework team is a mechanism that shares information on potential crises and works together to support the development of inter-agency conflict prevention initiatives. As such it is a key part of the United Nations conflict prevention architecture. The Framework team is designed to support the United Nations country team in countries that show early signs that a situation, whether at the regional, national or sub-national level, is likely to lead to violence. The programme initiatives are designed to address the issues at the early upstream stage in the conflict cycle, so that the situation does not escalate.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Good practice exists at the policy level and in field operations of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. UNDP operates an early warning system in some of its in-country programmes, often using sophisticated computer mapping, which is designed to map specific local conditions, such as movements of security forces and displaced peoples, presence of weapons, and availability of basic services. A process of broad consultations with local communities is frequently incorporated. UNDP has developed a capacity to identify the root causes of conflicts, notably through deployment of peace and development advisers to country teams who help in conducting conflict analyses. Experience has shown that context-specific systems that mix qualitative and quantitative indicators and political analysis are effective, if highly resource intensive.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Several factors and challenges can exacerbate this exclusion of minorities, including deteriorating economic conditions, ethnic tensions and rising discrimination. In some countries, unequal regional distribution of resources and services as well as lack of basic infrastructure in regions where minorities live often have the effect of excluding them from fully exercising their economic and social rights. The past decade has also brought into the picture new and unanticipated challenges, including the global food and economic crises that have been proven to have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups and minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- The thematic focus of the present report is the role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention. The independent expert considers that among the essential elements of a strategy to prevent conflicts involving minorities are: respect for minority rights; dialogue between minorities and majorities within societies; and the constructive development of practices and institutional arrangements to accommodate diversity within society. Attention to minority rights violations at an early stage before they lead to tensions and violence would make an invaluable contribution to the culture of prevention within the United Nations, save countless lives and promote stability and development.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Despite some excellent practices in the field, 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 1992 Declaration on Minorities, 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Preventive diplomacy can be most effective when tensions first arise between a Government and a minority, and they are relatively susceptible to third party engagement. Envoys may work discreetly and all parties may be willing to calmly present their concerns, and to explore possible solutions. When a situation develops from these initial tensions to actual incidences of violence, positions begin to harden and resistance to compromise grows. It becomes more difficult for leaders to make compromises as the depth of feeling and emotion among their constituencies increases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- With respect to the donor community, it has been recognized that engagements between donors and recipient countries - whether from a conflict prevention or post-conflict peace-building perspective - need to be guided by recognition of the specific injustices suffered by minorities. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which brings together the world's main donor Governments, has developed a set of principles guiding assistance to fragile States, in which it urges member States to promote non-discrimination as a basis for inclusive and stable societies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Historically, channels of communication between the human rights institutions in Geneva and the peace and security bodies in New York have not been optimal. A number of significant improvements have taken place, notably the enhancement of the status of a New York presence of OHCHR, now headed by an Assistant Secretary-General, and regular briefings to the Security Council by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Additionally, while there has been added emphasis placed on the prevention of certain specific crimes, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, violent conflicts that do not fit those definitions may also warrant additional attention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Minority rights expertise should be strengthened and integrated comprehensively across the United Nations system. Given the prevalence of conflicts involving identity issues, permanent in-house expertise on minority issues within the principal agencies and departments working on conflict prevention would be highly beneficial.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Since the adoption of the 1992 Declaration on Minorities, the basic assumption contained in its preamble - that the implementation of minority rights contributes to the stability of States - has been taken up and developed further in successive resolutions of the General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights, its successor the Human Rights Council, reports of the Secretary-General and outcome documents of a number of conferences and policy processes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The Secretary-General has stated that respecting the rights of children, of women, and of all minorities is at the core of the Charter of the United Nations; it is both a moral obligation and an economic imperative. Discrimination and injustice threaten the goals for peace, security and sustainable development. Preserving minority languages and nurturing ethnic cultures and traditions lays the foundations for lasting stability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- National human rights institutions that comply with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights ("the Paris Principles") can also play a constructive role in promoting the positive valuing of diversity and addressing issues that could cause conflict. Such institutions may include designated commissioners for minority issues, or separate, dedicated institutions may be established.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- The Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, a conflict prevention bureau within UNDP, currently has no focal point on minorities either; however, UNDP has recently enhanced its understanding of minority issues in development processes through a series of workshops resulting in a resource guide and toolkit for UNDP field staff, which includes guidance on addressing conflict situations (see paras. 15 and 16 above).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- National human rights institutions should have mandates that explicitly include the protection and promotion of minority rights and expertise in the field of minority rights. Consideration should be given to establishing dedicated consultative and advisory bodies to help ensure that minority issues are adequately addressed at the national and local levels.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- One of the possible benefits of placing more emphasis on minority rights as a tool for conflict prevention may be that it not only facilitates earlier warnings of troubled societies, but also that the corresponding corrective measures are relatively less costly politically. That would increase the likelihood of action being taken earlier.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- To fulfil their human rights obligations and also as a measure to increase stability and improve inclusive governance, States should implement fully the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, through a process of consultation and cooperation with minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- States should implement comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, including measures to prohibit discrimination by both State and private actors. Legislation must provide for effective, transparent enforcement mechanisms which can be accessed easily by all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- States should monitor the participation of minorities in all areas of economic life, including allocation of jobs within public services, to ensure that members of all communities have equal access without discrimination. Requirements, including language qualifications for public service jobs, should not result in the effective exclusion of minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- States should monitor economic development projects to assess their impact on minorities, to ensure that they benefit equally with others, and that there is no detrimental effect on their rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Where there are historical patterns of exclusion of members of minorities from employment, business and education opportunities, States should implement capacity-building programmes and other affirmative action measures to enable members of minorities, including minority women, to compete on an equal footing.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Public proclamations regarding national identity, for example in the constitution, and key national symbols should be fully inclusive, and should not exclude segments of a country's population nor deny, explicitly or implicitly, the full diversity of the population.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Equally, in those States that implement protection for minority rights, minorities are more likely to be recognized as equal rights-holders and afforded the full protection of the State from aggression and violence directed against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Additionally, women and men members of minorities may be targeted by armed actors in different ways, increasing the forms of violence in the society in general. For example, women are targeted by sexual violence, while men are forcibly recruited into militias. The rape of women, for example, may be intended to humiliate men and demonstrate their inability to protect "their" women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- The protection of minority rights and the prevention of violent conflicts are legitimate goals of independent value to be pursued by the international community. Both goals lie at the heart of the mandate of the United Nations, and States should pursue each one as a valid objective in its own right. However, the fact that these two concerns are so often linked to one another makes it appropriate to consider them together.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- United Nations staff working on conflict prevention and peace-building, particularly those working on policy, analysis and early warning and in country teams, should receive comprehensive minority rights training.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Consideration should be given to adding an expert on minority rights to the standby team of mediation experts in the Department of Political Affairs. Additional consideration could be given to involving the team in country situations at an earlier point on the conflict continuum that runs between the expression of grievances to the outbreak of violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations should develop an inter-agency guidance note on addressing minority issues to include, inter alia: how to consult with minority communities in order to capture the diversity of positions; how to involve civil society organizations working with minority communities in United Nations conflict prevention work; and how to develop context-specific early warning indicators.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations should continue to make efforts to share the experiences of a variety of agencies with early warning methodologies, including those systems which combine quantitative and qualitative indicators, and should incorporate minority rights indicators so that all agencies, departments and country offices can draw on the best available practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Effective steps should be taken to ensure that the national staff composition of the United Nations country teams is inclusive of persons from minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Some analysts worry about the risk of raising false alarms by flagging concerns at too early a stage. But if the response to an early warning of patterns of discrimination is to work with the Government to set up programmes that correct those patterns, then that has its own value, regardless of the impact on conflict prevention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- It has been argued that early warning systems need to combine the collection of disaggregated quantitative data with more in-depth qualitative analysis. Such a course of action would enable the identification of complex interactions between political, social and economic factors that help determine whether violent conflict will break out, and if so, when.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The effective and meaningful participation of minorities in the political arena can be a pivotal element in avoiding violent conflict. While members of minorities have the right to participate in decision-making processes, particularly those that affect them, minorities are greatly underrepresented in the political processes and governing institutions of most countries for a variety of reasons. They may be intentionally restricted from participation or inadvertently disadvantaged by laws or policies, or there may be a lack of political will to dismantle structural barriers to the full and equal participation of minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- States have significant leeway to decide, in consultation with minority communities, the modalities by which political participation can be achieved. Those measures may include the devolution of certain powers by means of a federal or autonomy arrangement; electoral systems based on proportional representation; a system of reserved seats for minorities in parliament; or the facilitated participation in the electoral process of political parties representing the interests of minorities. Most importantly, the modality for political inclusion must afford minorities genuine influence. Tokenism or State interference in the process of identifying political representatives, for example, may lead to deeper frustrations. Further, full respect for freedoms of expression and assembly is critical.
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- A frequent source of conflict worldwide is discrimination and inequality in relation to land and property. For minority communities, often located in remote rural areas, the land and territories on which they live are a source of food security and income generation as well as being vital to the preservation of minority cultures, traditions and collective identity. However, some minorities find that their rights to own, occupy and use land are limited or violated and they may find themselves displaced or evicted, in some cases to make way for national economic development schemes, the activities of multinational corporations or for natural resources development. Land and property issues should consequently be given close attention in respect of conflict prevention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Programmes to promote development implemented by Governments and external donors often fail to take into account the inequalities between communities, the unique circumstances of minorities or the possible need for special measures to ensure that minority communities also benefit. Minorities may be adversely affected through displacement by large-scale projects such as dams and natural resource extraction, or as a result of the negative environmental impact. As noted in the 2007 annual report of the independent expert, conflict prevention is one reason why monitoring poverty alleviation among minorities is crucial: if strategies are successful for some groups but not for minorities, inequalities will increase and so too may tension. Inclusive participation strategies for poverty reduction are proven and effective conflict prevention measures (see A/HRC/4/9, para. 43).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Economic exclusion is a cause, a manifestation and a consequence of discrimination against minorities, both in the developed and in the developing world. Minorities are often discriminated against when they seek employment and are often poorly represented even in public sector employment and despite legislation that bans discrimination in both public and private sectors. They may face barriers in accessing credit or loans to begin small businesses and may live in the poorest regions or remote areas that offer limited prospects for their economic development. Equally, large-scale economic development projects or commercial activities carried out on the lands and territories where minorities live, without their prior consultation, have had negative impacts, including displacement, the perpetuation of poverty and, in some cases, violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- UNICEF both generates and monitors country-specific data that may reveal situations of emerging conflict. Its activities focusing on the most marginalized and vulnerable women and children position it uniquely to play an early prevention role with respect to minority rights. Given that minority children are often the most disadvantaged, there is a sound basis for the engagement of UNICEF in minority issues. With a wide network of offices worldwide, UNICEF is in an important position to encourage the introduction of minority issues on Government public policy agendas, to support Government efforts and directly deliver assistance to minority children and women. The UNICEF field presence is common in conflict zones, and its focus on protection issues makes it an institution with key relevance to conflict prevention. At UNICEF headquarters, there is a cluster of professionals whose portfolios include minority rights issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The special procedures of the Human Rights Council, including the independent expert on minority issues, and the treaty monitoring bodies are well placed to identify the warning signs of impending conflicts, including those affecting minorities. In October 2009, a United Nations round table on special procedures entitled "Early Warning and Emerging Issues" was held in New York. Participants emphasized the contribution that these mechanisms can make to a better understanding of complex situations, for example involving systemic exclusion and discrimination of certain minority groups. Participants recommended strengthening the capacity of the special procedures to contribute to early warning, including by ensuring that their recommendations were communicated more effectively to the United Nations field presences, and ensuring that data revealing patterns of severe abuses were communicated as early warnings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 80
- 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
- 2011
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires that "(i)n those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language". The Declaration further elaborates the rights of minorities and the obligations upon States. Numerous provisions within the Declaration require positive measures in legislation, policy and programming to ensure the full and effective participation of minorities in public life. Their implementation may best be achieved through a national policy and institutional framework incorporating targeted attention to minority rights.
- 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
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in its general recommendation No. XVII on the establishment of national institutions to facilitate implementation of the Convention (see A/48/18, chap. VIII.B), recommends that States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination "establish national commissions or other appropriate bodies … to serve, inter alia … (a) to promote respect for the enjoyment of human rights without any discrimination; … (b) to review government policy towards protection against racial discrimination; (c) to monitor legislative compliance with the provisions of the Convention; (d) to educate the public about the obligations of States under the Convention; (e) to assist in the preparation of reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Institutional attention to minority rights can assist in international cooperation and prevent international tensions relating to the treatment of minorities. The existence of minorities in a State may have cross-border implications, in cases where, for example, they have a "kin" State or external religious ties. Minorities have the right to maintain peaceful contacts across frontiers. Owing to historical or geopolitical factors, the treatment of minorities may be sensitive. The Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has produced recommendations on national minorities in inter-State relations. While protection of minorities is primarily the responsibility of the State of residence, States are encouraged to conclude bilateral treaties and arrangements, share information and concerns, pursue interests and ideas, and support minorities on the basis of friendly inter-State relations. States are recommended to use instruments, including advisory and consultative bodies such as minority councils or joint commissions, and establish mediation and arbitration mechanisms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Data disaggregated along ethnic and religious lines and sex reveal inequalities and are a vital resource for informing policy and programming on minority issues. Data allow targets and objectives to be established based on identified concerns which may include education access and outcomes, labour-market activity, health and housing and provide justification for targeted programmes. National statistical bodies and other relevant government bodies should be mandated to collect disaggregated data as a good practice and develop internal expertise on minority issues, and utilize data collection and analysis methodologies relevant to ethnicity, religion, language and identity. Most countries hold regular national censuses and relevant questions should be included that adhere to personal data protection standards. Specialist attention would allow appropriate indicators to be identified and utilized to assess the relative situation of minorities and the impact of programmes, as measured against established targets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Governments can be important sources of support and funding for non governmental organizations. Even where Governments establish institutional attention to minority issues, they may consider providing institutionalized support to non-governmental organizations and community groups working with and on behalf of minorities, including in the context of specific services and projects. They should also assist in the establishment of, and provide support to, minority media that provide an essential service and information delivery mechanisms for minorities. However, service provision by non-governmental organizations should not be considered a viable substitute for dedicated Government attention to minority issues and Government-led provision of essential services and allocation of financial resources necessary to improve the living conditions and protect the rights of minorities.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Permanent assemblies or political bodies can facilitate minority representation in national political structures. The members of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan represent 40 of the largest ethnic groups. The Government states that it revives and promotes ethnic cultures, languages and traditions; strengthens inter ethnic unity and harmony through the monitoring of ethnic relations; and makes recommendations on State policy. Deputies in the lower house of the parliament are appointed from among the members of the Assembly. The House of Federation of Ethiopia, which is the upper house of the parliament, is composed of representatives of over 60 "nations, nationalities and peoples". It is intended to act as an assurance mechanism for the rights of ethnic groups, as established in the constitution. Such bodies must be based on principles of democratic accountability and electoral legitimacy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- Institutions, including ministries, may decide to have dedicated advisers, consultant posts or focal points within their institutional structures that have responsibility for minority issues. While such posts provide relatively low-level institutional attention, compared with dedicated institutions or departments, they can nevertheless fulfil important functions, raise awareness of minority issues in key policy and programme areas, and demonstrate institutional will to respond to minority concerns. Where advisory posts or focal points exist in different ministries, they may have the potential to promote coordination and information-sharing and joint projects. Given the specialist nature of such roles, priority should be given to the recruitment of minorities, including minority women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- National human rights institutions are independent, autonomous bodies created by law and should function in compliance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions (the Paris principles) (General Assembly resolution 48/134, annex). National human rights institutions include human rights commissions, ombudsman's offices, and specialized institutions designed to protect the rights of disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. In 2005, the United Nations Working Group on Minorities of the former Commission on Human Rights noted that national human rights institutions can contribute significantly to the promotion and protection of the rights of minorities and that there is growing recognition of the contribution that these institutions can make to safeguard the rights of the less advantaged groups of society, in close partnership with them. Nevertheless, frequently such institutions lack clear and proactive mandates for addressing minority issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The Paris principles require bodies to address racial discrimination proactively, including by increasing public awareness through provision of information and education and by making use of all press organs. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have highlighted the fact that in some States the rights of groups including minorities may be controversial and contested and that national human rights institutions "are frequently the only ones that can and do speak out in defence of those who have no voice, or whose influence is minimal". They frequently provide vital critical assessments of Government policy and practice, including through reports to United Nations treaty bodies that provide non governmental perspectives and substantive recommendations. With specialist minority expertise, they are well placed to advise Governments and critique their minority-related policy and practice.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Regional intergovernmental bodies can promote national attention to minority issues. The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights can be interpreted as containing provisions for protection of minorities; however, in African States attention to minority issues is relatively weak. The African Commission has a Working Group on Indigenous Populations and is encouraged to consider creating a similar body to promote national attention to minorities. The Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is drafting a human rights declaration; and the Organization of American States has a working group to prepare a draft inter-American convention against racism and all forms of discrimination and intolerance. Inclusion of strong minority rights provisions in such regional standards could promote and require national attention to minority rights.
- 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
- 2012
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. 23
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert is particularly concerned about the situation of religious minorities in all regions. Information received by the mandate of the independent expert and the work of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, as well as other thematic mandates, have revealed disturbing attacks and violence against members of religious minorities and their places of worship, affecting Buddhist, Christian, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslim, and other religious minorities in several regions. Such violent attacks have been documented in numerous countries and different regions and are not confined to any one region. Long-standing and new forms of anti-religious extremism and the use of the internet and social media to spread hate speech and encourage discrimination and violence must be condemned at the highest levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
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
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
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
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. 18
- Paragraph text
- Based on the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the independent expert has identified a number of thematic priorities that will feature in her work during her first term as mandate holder. These priorities also reflect some of the priorities that have been brought to her attention, and have been raised with her predecessor, by minorities themselves. The independent expert wishes to emphasize that, to the fullest extent possible and in line with the provisions of her mandate, her work will take into account the views of minorities and NGOs as well as other stakeholders and that she will take every opportunity to respond to the concerns of minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
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. 75
- Paragraph text
- The theme of the third session of the Forum was minorities and effective participation in economic life. Minority women are often excluded from the labour market or are at greater risk of unemployment. Barriers to minority women's access to labour markets include lack of professional education and formal qualifications, limited knowledge of the official language, low awareness of job opportunities, geographical location of jobs distant from their place of residence, lack of public infrastructure for child care, and financial difficulties. Cultural traditions and gendered societal roles may further discourage the involvement of minority women in employment or severely limit their options in this regard.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 76
- Paragraph text
- Sex- and minority-based discrimination in hiring, promotion and pay also create significant barriers for minority women. Increasingly informal labour markets - a result of globalization - have brought more women into paid work, but often with low pay, excluded from basic labour protection and employed under poor working conditions. This renders the conditions under which minority women - and all too often young girls - earn incomes that may be insecure, difficult, harmful or even dangerous. Their workload can be made heavier by the lack of such basic amenities as clean water and sanitation, the availability of child-care support and protection against domestic and social violence. Minority girls and women in difficult circumstances are often forced to find survival opportunities outside their communities and home, and can easily fall victim to trafficking, exploitation and illegal migration within or outside their own country, which makes them even more vulnerable.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The Government of Montenegro highlighted the fact that its Ministry for Minority Rights has a mandate to monitor, study and protect minority rights in accordance with the Constitution and international standards. Other ministries and government bodies are mandated to address issues of minority rights within their fields of responsibility, including the Ministries of Justice and Human Rights, Culture, Education and Sports, Internal Affairs, and Labour and Social Welfare.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Specialist bodies have a valuable educative role in developing and delivering teaching and training initiatives, which would include educating the general public through such activities as public debates, engagement with the media on minority issues and conducting campaigns and other awareness-raising initiatives. They may promote minority rights within the framework of human rights education initiatives through the development of curricula and provision of school teaching materials appropriate to diverse classrooms, reflecting ethnic and religious diversity, minority cultures and languages, and the histories and contributions of minorities. Dedicated bodies can provide training to staff of public bodies, including the police and judiciary, so as to enhance institutional awareness of minority rights and equality standards and promote the use of tools, resources and good practices relevant to minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- The prevention of mass atrocities, intergroup tensions and conflict, including when owing to violations of minority rights, is an important impetus for institutionalizing attention to minority issues, particularly where tensions or conflict exists or has previously occurred. The former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, remarked that "[W]e must protect especially the rights of minorities, since they are genocide's most frequent targets". The General Assembly in the preamble to the Declaration considered "that the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to … minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live". This statement was echoed by Heads of State and Government in paragraph 130 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome, where they also committed themselves to the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes and ethnic cleansing (paras. 138 and 139), the importance of which is emphasized by the Independent Expert in relation to minorities at risk.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Institutionalizing expertise in minority rights before tensions arise enhances the potential to identify problems early and implement effective prevention measures. Under her mandate, the Independent Expert has noted that among the essential elements of strategies to prevent conflicts involving minorities are: respect for minority rights; dialogue between minorities and majorities; and the constructive development of practices and institutional arrangements to accommodate diversity. In the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, held in Durban, South Africa, from 31 August to 8 September 2001 States were urged to recognize that techniques, mechanisms, policies and programmes for reconciling conflicts based on factors related to race, colour, descent, language, religion, or national or ethnic origin and for developing harmonious multiracial and multicultural societies needed to be systematically considered and developed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Institutional engagement with non-governmental organizations brings expertise on minority issues and expands the capacity of national bodies through appropriate programme collaborations. National institutions may benefit from the studies, reports and contacts of non-governmental organizations within minority communities and the access and trust that some non-governmental organizations have secured at the community level. Non-governmental organizations and minority associations provide guidance based on their expert knowledge of specific groups and thematic concerns and are essential partners in consultation processes and the delivery of policy and programme initiatives. Further, governmental institutions and national human rights bodies working on minority issues provide a valuable focus for non-governmental organization advocacy initiatives, enabling them to lobby, build relationships and collaborate with national actors wielding policy influence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Collaborations among civil society groups, ethnic or religious bodies or associations and national or local authorities can provide valuable venues and opportunities for dialogue and understanding between communities and among authorities and minorities. In Marseille, France, "Marseille Hope" is an example of a positive initiative designed to create dialogue and help avert the tensions between faith groups that, once having emerged, can lead to violence. Jewish, Christian, Buddhist and Muslim leaders meet regularly with city authorities to share views and maintain positive relations among communities. Founded in 1989 in response to growing urban violence, it promotes inter-community understanding through activities, including interfaith symposiums.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Institutional approaches are particularly important that seek to ensure coordinated policy and programming initiatives incorporating all relevant ministries and other national stakeholders. They may develop and take the lead in implementing a national policy framework and devise cross-ministerial strategies and programmes in consultation with minorities and other stakeholders. Holistic, coordinated approaches recognize the interconnected nature of such issues and ministerial priorities such as health and housing, education and employment, and may facilitate policy and programming responses that comprehensively address problems facing minorities and their underlying causes.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Lithuania informed the Independent Expert of its Division for National Minorities Affairs in the Ministry of Culture. The post of Vice-Minister of culture for national minorities affairs was introduced in 2011, demonstrating the Government's special attention to national minority issues. A Council of National Minorities operates under the Ministry of Culture and plays a key role in consultation on minority issues with public authorities. Twenty-nine recognized national communities are representatives in the Council, which analyses legal acts and makes recommendations concerning the preservation of national identity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Bosnia and Herzegovina highlighted the existence of a department for the protection of the rights of, and cooperation with, national minorities and religious groups, which exists within the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees. It employs national minorities; in this regard, Roma coordinators work in the Ministry and in four regional offices. A Department for Minorities also operates within the ombudsman's office. Councils of national minorities at the State level and within autonomous entities function to preserve and develop ethnic, national, religious and cultural identity and assist efforts to reintegrate communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- The Government of Brazil has established institutional attention to Afro-Brazilians in recognition of discrimination and the disproportionate socioeconomic disadvantage of Afro-descendants, including through its ministry dedicated to promoting policies for racial equality, the Secretaria de Políticas de Promoção da Igualdade Racial (SEPPIR). A statute of racial equality (law 12.288), adopted in 2009, reinforces State obligations to guarantee equal opportunities to Afro-Brazilians. Affirmative action projects combat structural inequalities, in particular in respect of access to education, health and employment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- Institutions mandated to address minority issues can increase minority rights awareness among minority communities and the wider society. They are valuable central sources of information on legislation, policies and programmes and acts that foster discrimination. They can provide advisory services on specific concerns, such as education, employment and housing, and facilitate consultations and debates in which minorities participate. A national institutional framework facilitates legislative and policy development and the design, implementation and monitoring of minority-related programmes. Affirmative action measures that address long-standing discrimination and inequality are often necessary and require institutional attention to specific minority issues or groups. Institutions can conduct studies and social surveys and gather and analyse disaggregated data so as to justify, implement and monitor such measures.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The commentary of the Working Group on Minorities of the former Commission on Human Rights to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2005/2) notes that "States should establish advisory or consultative bodies involving minorities within appropriate institutional frameworks. They should be attributed political weight and effectively consulted on issues affecting the minority population". Advisory and consultative bodies can be permanent or ad hoc. They help to institutionalize dialogue between government and minority representatives and to ensure that minority issues are reflected in local and ideally national policy- and decision-making processes. Appropriate advisory and consultative bodies should therefore exist at the national level and at regional and local levels, where challenges affecting minorities frequently manifested themselves.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Dedicated Government institutions may elaborate valuable mission statements and objectives providing important political messages on minority inclusion and equality, which may explicitly reflect challenges facing minorities. The Ministry of Minority Affairs of India is "empowering the minority communities and creating an enabling environment for strengthening the multiracial, multi-ethnic, multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious character of our nation", and its objective is "to improve the socioeconomic conditions of the minority communities through affirmative action and inclusive development". Such public commitments provide a valuable opportunity for civil society engagement and advocacy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
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. 77
- Paragraph text
- In some societies, minority women shoulder complex burdens of poverty, ethnic or religious prejudice and gender-based restrictions, which can frequently result in greater challenges to the right to an adequate standard of living, including adequate housing. For instance, minority women in rural or remote areas in some countries may be confronted by a profound degree of isolation created by several different factors, including the boundaries of the home, lack of education and language barriers. Access to and use and management of land and property are central to women's economic independence, social status and political influence, not only with regard to their own status but also to that of men in their community.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 78
- Paragraph text
- Customary law used by minorities, as well as laws in general, may disadvantage minority women, and entrenched gender roles may leave them highly vulnerable, particularly with regard to ownership of land or property, inheritance rights and access to credit, technology or markets. Displacement as a result of a wide range of reasons, such as war, men having been forced to flee or killed in a conflict, increased poverty and climate change have had the effect of loss of land and property, as well as putting minority women at risk of, inter alia, kidnapping, sexual exploitation, violence and HIV/AIDS.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 79
- Paragraph text
- Minority women may also face additional challenges in terms of access to reproductive health care. Indeed, several factors, including poverty, living in remote geographic areas where maternal health services are poor and/or inaccessible, and the lack of cultural awareness among maternal health practitioners, can greatly contribute to increasing maternal mortality among minority women. Minority women might have to deal with restrictions on their reproductive rights from within their own communities, including with regard to the use of contraception. The practice of early marriages in minority communities can have a significant impact on the health of women and their access to education or employment. Other discriminatory practices and policies in society in general include forced sterilization, used for some minority women because of their belonging to a particular minority group.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 80
- Paragraph text
- Negative and stereotypical portrayals of minority girls and women - for example as uneducated, powerless, oppressed or unhygienic - largely influence their treatment in wider society and contribute to the perpetuation of discrimination. Minority women following different cultural, traditional and religious practices can easily face segregation or exclusion from various social services. If they only speak their minority language, they experience difficulties and discrimination even in basic life situations. Minority women may also face barriers to freedom of cultural expression and have limited access to social and cultural forums when compared with minority men.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 81
- Paragraph text
- Two side-events on issues related to the rights of minority women and girls were organized in the margins of the fourth session of the Forum. The first side event on 29 November, organized by OHCHR, focused on empowering minority women to claim their rights within their communities as well as organizational and institutional bodies and mechanisms that can be effective in empowering and building the capacity of minority women. Panellists included Mercedes Barquet (Mexico), member of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice; Atieno Junnipher Kere (Kenya), Women In Fishing Industry Programme; Renu Sijapati (Nepal), Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO); Beata Bislim Olahova (Slovakia), Roma Education Fund; and Leonardo Reales Martinez (Colombia), AFROLATINOS and ECODESARROLLO.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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
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. 30
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert recognizes the role and potential of young men and women within minority communities to inspire and promote change and develop positive relations across communities as well as being agents of change within their communities. Young people from both minority and majority communities have different experiences from those of older generations and bring different perceptions, including with regard to their national, ethnic, religious and linguistic and other aspects of their identity, and their interactions with those from communities that are not their own. In all aspects of her work as mandate holder, the independent expert will seek to engage with young people from minorities to learn about their views and ideas and to encourage them to take leadership roles and engage in positive activities to promote inter-cultural dialogue.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
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. 31
- Paragraph text
- Women belonging to minorities frequently experience unique challenges and multiple or intersecting forms of discrimination emanating from their status as members of minorities and as women or girls. This may make minority women and girls particularly vulnerable to human rights violations and the denial of their rights in both public and private life. In conformity with the requirements of her mandate, the independent expert will seek to engage with minority women and consult them on their issues and concerns in all aspects of her work, including during country visits and in her communications to specific States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 32
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert emphasizes that the fourth session of the Forum on Minority Issues held in November 2011, was dedicated to "guaranteeing the rights of minority women and girls" (see Section VI below) and produced a series of concrete recommendations to protect the rights of minority girls and women (A/HRC/19/71). The independent expert considers that these recommendations provide an essential resource and tool, produced through an inclusive process involving key stakeholders, including States and minority women themselves. In this regard she will focus attention on activities and initiatives to promote awareness and implementation of these recommendations in every region and seek opportunities to assist States and civil society in their efforts to operationalize the recommendations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 22
- Paragraph text
- Under article 1 of the Declaration on Minorities, States are required to protect the existence and religious identity of persons belonging to religious minorities and encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity. Article 2 establishes that persons belonging to religious minorities have the right to profess and practise their own religion, in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination. Particularly relevant to the rights of religious minorities are the provisions in article 2 relating to the right to establish and maintain their own associations and to establish and maintain free and peaceful contacts with other members of their group, as well as contacts across frontiers, with citizens of other States to whom they are related by religious ties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Outreach is essential to ensuring that potential beneficiaries are aware of institutions and their services. An EU-wide survey of 23,500 people from minority groups by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS), revealed that over one third of respondents who claimed to have been discriminated against on the grounds of their ethnicity did not know how or where to report their experiences. Some 82 per cent of minority respondents who reported experiencing discrimination did not report their experience to any formal body.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Forms of non-territorial or cultural autonomy can also serve to preserve elements of minority history, language and culture and may foster dialogue; they may involve establishing institutional arrangements such as local or minority self-governments. Local self-governments fulfil responsibilities in particular in the field of minority education and cultural self-administration, media, the fostering of traditions and cultural heritage, and social inclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
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. 39
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert recalls that, in view of the prevalence of conflicts involving minority and inter-group issues, minority rights expertise should be strengthened and integrated comprehensively across the United Nations system and that permanent in-house expertise on minority issues within the principal agencies and departments working on conflict prevention would be highly beneficial.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Article 1 (1) of the Declaration requires that "States shall protect the existence and the national or ethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and shall encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity". Article 1 (2) requires that "States shall adopt appropriate legislative and other measures to achieve those ends". Article 2 (3) requires that minorities have the right to participate effectively in decisions on the national and, where appropriate, regional level concerning the minority to which they belong or the regions in which they live. Article 4 (2) requires that "States shall take measures to create favourable conditions to enable persons belonging to minorities to express their characteristics and to develop their culture, language, religion, traditions and customs". Article 5 (1) establishes that "(N)ational policies and programmes shall be planned and implemented with due regard for the legitimate interests of persons belonging to minorities".
- 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
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Statistics Canada conducts census and other statistical surveys and includes questions relating to origin, ethnicity, religion and language, thereby allowing comparative analysis of the socioeconomic situation of minorities compared with other population groups. Labour-market activity data revealed disproportionately high unemployment rates among black, Western Asian and Arab communities, for example. An Ethnic Diversity Survey provided insights into how ethnic backgrounds affect participation in social and economic life, a potential resource for programme development. Where Government bodies are not mandated or permitted to collect disaggregated data, independent human rights and equality bodies should play a key role in compiling such information and should develop their own internal expertise.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Non-governmental organizations are often the most active advocates for minority rights and implement concrete and grass-roots programmes. They provide information, expertise and expert services to national institutions and provide an essential information and communication bridge between national authorities and minority communities. They also fulfil important functions, including provision of social support activities conducted within communities and by trained members of minorities. Academic institutions frequently have specialist knowledge of minority issues and conduct essential research which provides Governments that are seeking to strengthen institutional expertise and design appropriate policy and programme measures, with a valuable resource.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- 2012 marks the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. In March 2012, the Secretary-General's Policy Committee stressed that the twentieth anniversary should be used to raise awareness and promote implementation of the Declaration and endorsed the establishment of the United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Minorities to give strengthened attention to minority issues within the United Nations system. In many countries, examples of constructive approaches, national legislation and institutional attention exist for the implementation of minority rights, equality and the accommodation of diverse groups within society which could be replicated. However, in all regions significant challenges remain for minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Disadvantaged minorities are often the poorest communities and face marginalization and discrimination in respect of their participation in economic life. They are underrepresented in political life and decision-making bodies and lack opportunities to raise their issues at all levels. Certain minority communities experience denial or deprivation of citizenship, with implications for enjoyment of their rights. They often experience poor educational access and outcomes and exclusion from labour markets. Disadvantaged minorities often live in the lowest-quality housing, and in remote or undeveloped regions, and their health statistics are poor relative to other population groups. They often face barriers to achieving access to justice and in some countries face the threat of violence and disproportionate impacts of conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Expert national institutions can assist Governments in fulfilling international commitments, including reporting to United Nations treaty bodies, such as the Human Rights Committee, on minority rights under article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. States receive minority-related recommendations based on their consideration by treaty bodies, the universal periodic review, special procedures mandate holders and regional monitoring bodies. Specialist institutions can lead efforts to implement recommendations nationally. They also provide a valuable focal point through which guidance, tools and technical cooperation initiatives relating to minority rights may be channelled to the national level. Independent national human rights institutions frequently provide critical analysis of government policy and practice and make recommendations based on their minority rights expertise, including to the United Nations system and regional bodies.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Institutional attention to minority issues can be key to achieving anti-racism objectives and in designing and implementing national strategies that ensure consultation with and participation of minorities from planning to evaluation. The 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance urged Governments to develop national action plans against racism and create "conditions for all to participate effectively in decision-making and realize civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights in all spheres of life on the basis of non-discrimination" (para. 99 of the Durban Programme of Action). Action plans provide motivation for activities across institutions and are an important engine for mobilizing attention to equality and minority rights. Their implementation is characterized by mainstreaming initiatives in which numerous bodies work together to achieve common goals. The challenges in planning and management across institutions require institutional leadership so as to ensure that all actors fulfil their responsibilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Specialist bodies or dedicated departments are beneficial to meeting group-specific goals. In 2011, member States of the European Union (EU) adopted a Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, recognizing it as a major step towards achieving a more socially cohesive Europe. Member States agreed to prepare, update or develop by the end of 2011, national Roma inclusion strategies, or integrated sets of policy measures within their broader social inclusion policies for improving the situation of Roma. They reaffirmed that national efforts should focus on priority areas of education, employment, health care and housing so as to close the gaps between Roma and the general population. States agreed to appoint a national contact point or use an already existing body to ensure effective monitoring of Roma inclusion strategies and measures and foster the exchange of good practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- National and international actors responsible for developing policy and programmes to achieve the Millennium Development Goals should consider providing dedicated attention to the situation of minorities and projects targeted towards them. In the field of development, poverty alleviation and national strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, the mandate of the Independent Expert has highlighted the need for attention to minorities within national action plans and strategies to ensure that disadvantaged minorities are not left behind or fail to benefit from Millennium Development Goal strategies owing to discrimination, exclusion or neglect. A survey of Millennium Development Goal country reports and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers highlighted the low level of attention to minorities even in countries with large and impoverished minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Governments have the primary responsibility for implementing minority rights. Establishing a Government body, agency, department or equivalent institution with dedicated attention to minority issues provides an institutional focus for government activities and offers the potential for proactive policy and programme initiatives and targeted approaches to the challenges involving minorities. It demonstrates governmental commitment to minority rights and should ensure that minority issues are consistently integrated into governmental policies and, essentially, mainstreamed throughout governmental bodies. Considered briefly below are some forms of institutional attention to minority issues adopted by Governments at the national level.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Besides its National Human Rights Commission, Nepal also has a National Dalit Commission, which was established in 2002 in recognition of the fact that caste discrimination and untouchability practices continue. It promotes implementation of national and international law and advocated for the Caste-based Discrimination and Untouchability Act, adopted in May 2011, which criminalized such discrimination in private and public spheres. Among its activities was the organization of a 100-day campaign against caste discrimination, in collaboration with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, launched in September 2011 by the President and the High Commissioner.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Dedicated minority ombudsperson's offices, commissions or racial equality bodies, with clearly defined minority rights mandates, can create strong institutional identity and relatively high issue-visibility. Their mandates commonly demonstrate proactive, wide-ranging activities. The Ombudsman for Minorities of Finland, for example, works to advance the status and legal protection of ethnic minorities, as well as equality, non-discrimination and good ethnic relations. Its activities include: providing guidance on ethnicity issues and information and training on ethnicity; influencing topical issues by participating in public debates; and issuing statements. It supervises compliance with the non-discrimination act, offers legal opinions and advice and undertakes reconciliation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- An important role of independent human rights bodies is in provision of complaint-handling services. Disadvantaged minorities may be reluctant to report incidents of discrimination or lack information or resources that enable them to make or pursue complaints. Specialist bodies frequently provide legal assistance and advisory services. They may offer alternative pathways, including mediation services that pursue solutions outside the courts and provide relatively quick, free and less formal access to remedies. However complaint-handling activities should include the ability to conduct investigations based on information or complaints received and to initiate or pursue legal action in the courts and/or refer cases to other appropriate bodies, including tribunals.
- 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
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- European Union member States must set up equality bodies that address race and ethnicity in compliance with Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. They are required to provide independent assistance to victims of discrimination on ethnic or religious grounds. They should also conduct independent surveys and publish reports and recommendations relating to discrimination. Consequently, there is a relatively high number of dedicated equality institutions in Europe compared with other regions without such binding directives. Nevertheless, frequently, equality bodies focus primarily on non-discrimination and rarely give essential proactive and dedicated attention to minority issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
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. 42
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert, therefore, recognizes and applauds the work of grass-roots organizations and individuals in every region of the world working with and on behalf of disadvantaged minority communities to protect and promote their rights. She emphasizes that such NGOs frequently work in difficult circumstances and lack capacity and financial and human resources. Nevertheless many such organizations and individuals have achieved significant and concrete improvements affecting the lives of persons belonging to minorities in positive and very practical ways which should be given greater visibility and potentially employed as positive models for other communities worldwide where similar challenges exist.
- 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
- 2012
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. 44
- Paragraph text
- Recognizing that globally some minorities have been relatively successful in organizing and mobilizing themselves in order to claim their rights in comparison to others, the independent expert considers it important to develop a greater understanding of how minorities organize and become successful in mobilizing for change at the national and international levels and implement successful advocacy strategies. More studies should look into these opportunities and experiences and the independent expert will pay special attention to such analyses. Minority communities that have established NGOs are frequently more successful at advocating for change, are better equipped to engage local and national government and are able to benefit from funding and support from national and external sources.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
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. 66
- Paragraph text
- The fourth session of the Forum was expertly chaired by Ms. Graciela Dixon of Panama, and achieved excellent participation by diverse stakeholders, including over 80 United Nations Member States from all regions, and experts identified on the basis of their belonging to a minority group and having particular expertise and experience in the field of the rights of women belonging to minorities. United Nations bodies, mechanisms and specialized agencies participated, including UNICEF and UN Women, as well as expert Members of United Nations treaty bodies, notably the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Many NGOs were active participants and facilitated the participation of persons belonging to minorities from every region.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 28
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert notes with concern that a number of States maintain national ideologies or policies that impose restrictive criteria relating to official recognition of minority status. This may result in approaches to human rights, socio-economic policy, development, and poverty reduction, for example, that may fail to recognize the distinct circumstances, problems and experiences, including experiences of discrimination and exclusion, of persons belonging to disadvantaged national, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups. Approaches which do not recognize minorities, or acknowledge that certain population groups may face distinct challenges, do not allow for the opportunity for key tools and resources for non-discrimination and equality to be employed, including the use of disaggregated data and affirmative action measures targeted towards disadvantaged minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
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. 50
- Paragraph text
- It is notable that the Declaration states in its preambular paragraphs that "the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live" and that "the constant promotion and realization of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as an integral part of the development of society as a whole and within a democratic framework based on the rule of law, would contribute to the strengthening of friendship and cooperation among peoples and States".
- 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
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. 51
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert particularly draws the attention of the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to article 9 of the Declaration which states that they "shall contribute to the full realization of the rights and principles set forth in the present Declaration, within their respective fields of competence". In this regard she welcomes the continuing cooperation and collaboration of specialized agencies, treaty bodies and others with her mandate relating to their work on minority issues and invites them to consider participating in and initiating activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the Declaration.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
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. 21
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert will therefore pay special attention to the rights of and challenges faced by linguistic minorities. She will examine the problems as well as seeking to identify positive practices from all regions. For example, the use of models of bilingual education, commencing in the early years of schooling and including textbooks in minority languages, has been demonstrated to help children to become proficient in their mother tongue as well as national languages, maintain their ethnic and linguistic identity, and to help minority pupils to achieve positive education outcomes and fulfil their potential to participate effectively in wider society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Positive change in the situations of disadvantaged minorities can be provided by appropriate institutional attention to minority rights and a policy and programme framework within which to address minority issues. Legislative protection of minority rights in national law is an essential foundation; and the logical next step, from legislation to concrete action for the protection and promotion of minority rights, is provided by institutional attention.
- 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
- 2012
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. 69
- Paragraph text
- Women may be regarded as subordinate or inferior by men, and minority women may additionally face discrimination on the basis of their ethnicity, nationality or religion from those outside their minority group. A gender perspective that takes into account such multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination is critical when addressing minority rights and the situation of minority women and girls in a given minority group and in a particular country. The rights of every single member of such minority groups must be respected fully and equally, in all circumstances.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
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. 72
- Paragraph text
- Ensuring equal access to education for women and girls from minority groups, upon whom poverty and family responsibilities may have a disproportionate impact, remains a considerable challenge. Internal factors, including cultural practices, early marriages and entrenched patriarchal structures and gender roles that, for example, restrict the free movement of girls and women, are important issues that create barriers to access to education for girls, which must be addressed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Factors including lack of recognition of minorities, discrimination, exclusion and lack of knowledge and awareness of minority issues result in inadequate inclusion of minority issues by national institutions, both governmental and independent, within their work and priorities. Human rights and socioeconomic development policies frequently do not fully take account of their unique circumstances, their rights and their needs and consequently fail to benefit minorities. However, in many States that recognize challenges involving minorities and the need for targeted and mainstream solutions, institutional arrangements have been established incorporating expertise on minority issues which initiate, implement and monitor efforts to promote and protect minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 8
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- Different approaches to minority rights protection exist based on national circumstances and factors including historical, cultural and religious background and political systems. Some States provide territorial, political or cultural autonomy which facilitates minority participation in regional or local institutions and establish forms of local or minority self-government. Many States officially recognize minorities, adopt constitutional and legislative provisions, and acknowledge that special attention may be required to ensure the enjoyment of their rights in equality with others. Recognition of the existence of minorities remains a precondition for positive national measures and institutional arrangements for promoting minority rights effectively.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Disadvantaged minorities are often poorly placed with respect to accessing information and services. Poverty, socioeconomic disadvantages, remote localities, and education or language barriers are obstacles to obtaining services and engaging institutions. Some may have negative experiences of interactions with institutions which may not have met their expectations or addressed their concerns. Institutions should establish channels and processes of communication and consultation with minorities and build trust with minority communities. Efforts to raise awareness of the institution and services should target minorities and include advertising in and through minority media and in minority localities. Publications, information and services should be available in minority languages, including through dedicated websites.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 49
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- Minority issues frequently exist in local or regional contexts. Local or sub offices of human rights bodies can develop strong knowledge of localized minority rights issues, monitor evolving situations and build relationships with communities and authorities, and they are well placed to respond effectively to minority issues. Minority communities are more likely to engage with bodies in their localities, particularly those employing staff from minority communities who speak minority languages and maintain community contacts. Local offices assist in the mapping of minority communities and issues and help to ensure that local issues and concerns are reflected in regional- or national-level decision- and policymaking. Further, they can ensure that national policy and programmes reach and benefit minorities in remote regions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph