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Conflict prevention through the protection of the human rights of minorities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2022
- Document code
- A/HRC/49/46
Document
Dr. Fernand de Varennes – Priorities and vision of the mandate
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2018
- Document code
- A/HRC/37/66
Document
Education, language and the human rights of minorities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2020
- Document code
- A/HRC/43/47
Document
Effective promotion of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2017
- Document code
- A/72/165
Document
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2014
- Document code
- A/HRC/25/56
Document
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The following thematic discussion forms part of an ongoing programme of work by the Independent Expert to ensure that minority issues are given appropriate attention in the context of the post-2015 development agenda. She will continue to consult widely on this issue with all relevant stakeholders at the global and national level to achieve this objective.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- There are compelling arguments for giving greater attention to disadvantaged minorities in post-2015 development agenda and future development goals. Foremost amongst these is that globally minorities remain among the poorest and most socially and economically excluded and marginalized communities. Tens of millions of people belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities worldwide are trapped in a cycle of discrimination, exclusion, poverty and underdevelopment from which they cannot break free without targeted attention being given to their situations. The relationship between inequality, discrimination and poverty and its impact on disadvantaged minority groups cannot be ignored or underestimated.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- As highlighted by the former Independent Expert, poverty within minority communities is both a cause and a manifestation of the diminished rights, opportunities and social advancement available to the members of minority communities. Their poverty involves more than just a lack of income or a daily struggle for basic sustenance and is frequently based on structural inequality and long-standing discrimination and social exclusion which defy "one-size-fits-all" solutions. Poor minority communities are less able to participate effectively in political decision-making. They suffer from unequal access to education, health care, employment and land. Minorities are more likely to lack citizenship and be stateless, often resulting in their total exclusion from development and human rights initiatives.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In fact, as 2015 approaches, many persons belonging to minorities are at risk of backsliding in development and human rights terms. For example, the impact of the global financial crisis is most deeply felt by the poorest in society, including minorities, who may lack secure employment and face shrinking social welfare platforms. Recent or ongoing conflicts have had a devastating impact on minorities in numerous countries. Religious minorities are under threat in countries where conflict or political and social unrest has emerged, including the "Arab Spring" States, leading many to flee their homes or become refugees in neighbouring States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- An emerging message underlying the consultations around the post 2015 development agendas has been "leave no one behind". This message is a welcome one that indicates a growing global awareness that inequality greatly hampers development progress for those affected. The Independent Expert considers that a real risk exists that millions of disadvantaged minorities globally will be "left behind" if there is not a clear commitment at the global and national levels to address the development needs and human rights of disadvantaged minorities. New development goals for the post-2015 period provide an important opportunity to refocus development agendas on inequality and put minority issues at the heart of these efforts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In many national situations, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have not been achieved for disadvantaged minorities. A full analysis of experiences is still needed in order for lessons to be fully learned from the MDG experience. In some countries, positive examples have emerged where practices have been implemented and targeted strategies have produced positive results for minorities. However, a survey by the former Independent Expert on minority issues, Gay McDougall, demonstrated that only a handful of countries devoted particular attention to minorities in their MDG reports, that, even where minorities are mentioned, there is a lack of discussion on how and, crucially, why minorities are experiencing disproportionately high levels of poverty and other serious inequalities, and that women belonging to minority groups remain particularly invisible (see A/HRC/4/9, para. 68).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Deficiencies in the MDG framework have been highlighted by minority rights and development experts. A reliance on aggregate results and a continuing lack of disaggregated data collection resulted in very few measurements being made of the progress of minority groups towards the goals. Governments have tended to focus attention on populations that are easiest to reach and issues that were easiest and least costly to address. Minorities are often geographically and socially harder to reach and their issues include long-standing discrimination and social exclusion, which are more difficult to address. Strategies consequently often failed to target minorities and their particular challenges, even where the political will to address the issues of minorities existed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Research suggests that minorities and indigenous peoples have progressed at a slower rate and even found gaps between them and other communities widening as others benefited from MDG interventions. An issues brief on promoting equality, including social equity, co-authored by UNICEF, UN-Women, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and OHCHR, stated: "The MDGs, in focusing largely on national averages, without addressing inequalities explicitly, may have led to perverse outcomes whereby already-marginalized groups have tended to be 'left until last', thus exacerbating existing inequalities."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- OHCHR and mechanisms and mandates of the Council have consistently emphasized that human rights must be at the heart of development processes and that human rights-based approaches to development, based on the normative framework of human rights law, strengthen development strategies. This message is increasingly being taken up by other stakeholders, including Member States that acknowledge the relationship between human rights and development. It must not be forgotten that human rights include minority rights, as established in article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In September 2013, Amnesty International called for human rights-based approaches and attention to minorities in the post-2015 development agenda. It stated that world leaders risk deepening inequalities, discrimination and injustice if human rights remain sidelined. "The poorest, most disadvantaged and marginalized groups are being let down" said its Secretary General, Salil Shetty: "There is a widening gap between rich and poor and between men and women and those from minority groups." The MDGs and the post 2015 agenda must directly address factors causing inequality and must address and dismantle the multiple and systemic barriers which marginalize the most vulnerable.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Since 2012, a consultation process has been taking place internationally to put in place a new global development plan when the MDGs conclude in 2015. Important processes have been under way, including the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, and the intergovernmental Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals, connected to the Rio+20 process. The General Assembly met in September 2013 to review progress, begin discussion of the recommendations and start work on a new framework to follow the MDGs. Emerging from this process is a strong call for attention to the most marginalized and disadvantaged groups.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Rio+20 outcome document highlights the fact that green economy policies in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication should "enhance the welfare of indigenous peoples and their communities, other local and traditional communities, and ethnic minorities, recognizing and supporting their identity, culture and interests and avoid endangering their cultural heritage, practices and traditional knowledge" (para. 58). It also stresses the need to ensure equal access to education for ethnic minorities and for an enabling environment for women and girls from ethnic minorities (paras. 229 and 238). The High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons, in its report, states: "We should ensure that no person - regardless of ethnicity, gender, geography, disability, race or other status - is denied universal human rights and basic economic opportunities. We should design goals that focus on reaching excluded groups".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The Secretary-General established the United Nations System Task Team on the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda in September 2011, which brings together experts from over 50 United Nations entities and international organizations to support the post-2015 consultation process. In its report, Addressing inequalities: The heart of the post-2015 agenda and the future we want for all, it states that: "the era of the MDGs may have inadvertently seen some channeling of resources away from the poorest population groups or from those that are already at a disadvantage because of the effects of discrimination based on their gender, ethnicity, disability or residence … Redressing such discrimination and inequalities will be essential, if global opportunities for progress are to be shared by those most in need of its benefits."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations system has increased its attention to minority issues. In 2012, the Secretary-General established the United Nations network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities in Policy Committee decision No. 2012/4 of 6 March 2012. It aims to enhance dialogue and cooperation across the United Nations system. In the guidance note of the Secretary-General on racial discrimination and protection of minorities based on the network's work, it is stated that: "efforts to improve sustainable human development and promote inclusion and stability are complemented and strengthened with better attention to the situation of minorities … participation of persons belonging to minorities is essential in the process of developing the post 2015 development agenda, with a view to ensuring that the resulting agenda advances non-discrimination and other human rights concerns 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- United Nations Country teams supported 88 countries to convene national consultations on the post 2015 development agenda and hold forums to exchange ideas for a shared vision of "The World We Want", in an open process tailored to country contexts. The national consultations made deliberate efforts to engage groups that generally do not participate in policy discussions. This global conversation responds to a growing call for active participation in the process and calls for the voices and issues of disadvantaged groups, including minorities, to be taken into account at every stage. Submissions to the Global Consultation on Addressing Inequalities were revealing and emphasized the extent to which globally ethnic and linguistic minorities face structural exclusion that limits integration into society.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations Development Group organized a set of eleven thematic consultations, on the themes of: conflict and fragility; education; environmental sustainability; governance; growth and employment; health; hunger, food and nutrition; inequalities; population dynamics; energy; and water. A report and preliminary findings were launched in March 2013. The following sections provide a brief discussion of minority issues in the context of each of these thematic areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Tackling inequality stands out among the consultation areas as a cross-cutting and essential goal that should be at the heart of international and national development agendas. To make progress on this goal for disadvantaged minority groups and others means to create conditions of substantive equality for minorities, the challenges to which are a major barrier to development and human rights that minorities experience. A requirement for States to address inequality means that they must act clearly and directly to address the social exclusion, economic marginalization, poverty and discrimination facing minority communities.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- A global-level commitment to tackle inequality and address the situation of disadvantaged minorities and indigenous peoples by the international community, the United Nations, the donor community and international financial institutions is essential to encourage and ensure State-level action. If such a global message is missing or weakly stated, States that have historically neglected, denied or violated the rights and development of marginalized minority groups will have little incentive to do otherwise. Conversely, a strong requirement to address inequality, clearly articulated in a new set of post 2015 development imperatives, will serve to mobilize State action, empower civil society and minority communities, and have the potential to ensure real change on the ground for some of the most impoverished and marginalized minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- While the increasing focus on "inequality" is welcome and vital, it is essential that this translates into far greater attention to minority issues in practice in every State. It is essential not only to address the challenges of "the poor", but to identify who are the poorest, where and why - to find the inequality where it is gravest. A deeper understanding of the inequalities which lie behind poverty, social exclusion and economic marginalization is necessary if nationally and internationally we are to overcome the barriers to development experienced by disadvantaged minorities.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Discussions on the post-2015 agenda must take into account evidence that indicates that a rapidly increasing proportion of the world's poor are minority groups. In many situations globally, in both developing and developed countries, poverty takes on ethnic, religious and linguistic dimensions. An honest assessment of why minority groups face more severe challenges reveals that discrimination and exclusion form a launching pad for a host of obstacles for minorities. At the national level, long-term success in poverty reduction and in reaching development targets for minorities requires an investment in tackling the root causes of inequality, as well as its symptoms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- In core documents emerging from the consultations on the post 2015 agenda, there is little, if any, recognition that minorities experience multiple and intersectional challenges that create vulnerability across a range of areas under consideration. For example, a focus on rural/urban disparities fails to acknowledge that minorities are frequently rural and remote communities with poor access to services and basic needs. Consideration of household wealth disparities rarely makes the link between low income and belonging to a minority. It is often women from disadvantaged minorities who are most affected by poor access to education and decent employment and who suffer multiple discrimination as they are women, members of a minority and poor. When the maps of poverty, access to basic services, gender discrimination, poor housing and population groups are overlaid, minorities stand out as being the most in need. The nexus between minorities, poverty and inequality cannot be ignored.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Minority groups have experienced increased levels of racism and xenophobia since the financial crisis began. The 2012 Annual Report of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance noted that: "The ongoing economic crisis has created a vicious cycle in which many of the groups of concern to ECRI (vulnerable groups) are trapped. Diminished economic opportunities and welfare cuts puts them into poverty, which breeds negative feelings on both sides of the social divide".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Calls for inequality to be addressed more clearly are coming from a wide group of experts. On 21 May 2013 a group of 18 United Nations human rights mandate holders called for the post 2015 development agenda to be urgently refocused on equality, social protection and accountability. The statement highlighted that: The rise of inequality has severely undermined the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals … Future goals must be sensitive to who benefits and at whose expense, and must go beyond blunt, aggregate targets that allow us to pick the "low-hanging fruit" and ignore the most vulnerable groups, while leaving systemic injustices untouched … Making equality a cross-cutting priority would mean every new goal will confront head on the systemic injustices that drive inequalities, from institutional discrimination against minority groups to uneven investments in social services in different regions of a country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- A major barrier in assessing and tackling disparities is the lack of data disaggregated by ethnicity, religion or language. Data is vitally important for effective poverty reduction and yet, within aid modalities on poverty, the collection of ethno-cultural disaggregated data is not uniformly supported. In 2005, UNDP published MDG Monitoring and Reporting: A Review of Good Practices, wherein it recommends that, "Whenever possible, disaggregated data should be used to highlight disparities across gender, ethnicity, geographical location, age or other dimensions of inequality". In a few countries where disaggregated data exist, these reflect clearly the inequalities between majority and minority groups. Equally, they provide essential baseline data upon which to base targeted interventions and monitor progress. Each of the countries mentioned below has, to some extent, recognized the challenges facing minorities revealed by such data and established programmes targeted towards them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, disaggregated data reveal patterns of ethnic poverty. Around two fifths of people from ethnic minorities live in income poverty, twice the rate for whites. The highest income poverty rates (in percentages) are found among Bangladeshis (65), Pakistanis (55) and black Africans (45 ). At 25-30 per cent, the rate among Indians and black Caribbeans is lower but still much higher than the 20 per cent among white people. In Brazil, census data show that on average, white and Asian Brazilians earned twice as much as black or mixed-race Brazilians. Black Brazilians are much more likely to be poor. Of the 16.2 million people living in extreme poverty (approximately 8.5 per cent of the population), 70.8 per cent are black. The average wages for black and mixed-race Brazilians are 2.4 times lower than those earned by citizens of white and Asian origin.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Analysis by the Pew Research Center of census data in the United States shows the wealth gap between whites and minorities continued to grow since 1984 when the census began tracking such data. White households have on average 20 times the median wealth of blacks and 18 times that of Hispanics. The recession from late 2007 to mid-2009 took a far greater toll on the wealth of minorities than whites. From 2005 to 2009, inflation-adjusted median wealth fell by 66 per cent among Hispanic households and 53 per cent among black households, compared with just 16 per cent among white households. As a result the typical black household had just $5,677 in wealth (assets minus debts) in 2009; the typical Hispanic household had $6,325 in wealth; and the typical white household had $113,149.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The World Bank has highlighted the "remarkable progress" of Viet Nam on poverty reduction. However, ethnic minorities - 15 per cent of the population - have not enjoyed such progress. In 1993, minorities comprised 20 per cent of all poor households. By 1998, this had risen to 29 per cent, and by 2010 to 47 per cent, and 68 per cent of the extreme poor. The gap in living standards is also large: 66.3 per cent of ethnic minorities were still poor in 2010 compared to only 12.9 per cent of the majority Kinh, and 37.4 per cent of ethnic minorities are still extremely poor, compared to just 2.9 per cent of Kinh. The World Bank describes six "pillars of disadvantage" that combine in a "vicious cycle" to influence ethnic minority livelihood outcomes and lead directly and indirectly to persistent poverty: lower levels of education; less mobility; less access to financial services; less productive, lower-quality land; limited market access; stereotyping and cultural barriers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- One criticism that must be addressed is that a focus on any population group or minority may be perceived of as unfair affirmative action or special measures that result in a neglect of other population groups who may also have very real issues and development challenges. However, this need not be the case. An approach which addresses the long-standing issues of disadvantaged minorities as a core priority does not assume or require neglect of other groups or essential areas of concern. It requires that such targeted attention is justified, monitored and time-bound to ensure that it does not become discriminatory. Disaggregated data is also essential in this regard and allows inequalities to be statistically demonstrated, and progress towards targets to be monitored and evaluated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Addressing inequality is an overarching goal that, if it is achieved, will inevitably bring with it benefits for disadvantaged minority groups across a wide range of other areas that the post-2015 development agenda consultations are addressing. The rationale behind such an inequalities-based approach is strong, however it must be driven at a global and donor level to overcome barriers of discrimination, power-dynamics, and lack of political will that are often evident at the national level. In the Synthesis Report of the Global Thematic Public Consultation on the Post-2015 Development Agenda focusing on inequalities, it is stated that "there is considerable evidence that inequalities in one structural domain increase the likelihood of inequalities in others. In the event of opportunity for improvements in one domain, the chances of progress are often undermined or rendered inaccessible by simultaneous intersecting disadvantage in another. These intersecting and mutually reinforcing inequalities are often rooted in historical relationships, and continue to be reproduced through discrimination in social, economic, environmental and political domains."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Education is a basic human right for all children, and yet in all regions there are minority children who do not enjoy that right or enjoy it to a much lesser extent than others. Often countries face serious problems in providing basic education for many children owing to factors including scarcity of resources, poverty and conflict. However the challenges and barriers to minority children are frequently based on and perpetuated by discrimination and social exclusion. Lack of access to education perpetuates a cycle of poverty that is often experienced most acutely by minority communities. Yet conversely, education provides a gateway to development and the full enjoyment of a wide array of human rights for minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- In 2009, of the world's 101 million children out of school, an estimated 50-70 per cent were from minorities or indigenous peoples. In Central Africa, the great majority of Batwa and Baka have not had access even to primary education. Only 13 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa have access to primary education in their mother tongue. In South Asia, Dalit girls are prevented from pursuing their education not only because of poverty, but through discrimination and sexual violence. Literacy levels are commonly much lower among Dalit girls. For example, in the Mushahar Dalit community in India, barely 9 per cent of women are literate. In Latin America, millions of indigenous and African descendant children work in fields, plantations or mines instead of being in school.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- As a result of factors including segregation, stigmatization, and high dropout rates among Roma, their attendance beyond primary school is dramatically lower than the average. In South-East Europe only 18 per cent of Roma attend secondary school, compared with 75 per cent of the population, and less than 1 per cent of Roma attend university. In many countries globally, education is only in the national or majority language leaving linguistic minorities disadvantaged. In Viet Nam and other South-East Asian countries, education is commonly only in the language of the majority putting minorities at a disadvantage in education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- According to Paul Hunt, former Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (2002-2008): We live in a world of profound health inequalities, a world in which a person's health and the quality of care they receive is determined by their ethnicity, the language they speak or their religious and cultural beliefs. In almost every country in the world, minorities and indigenous peoples are among the poorest and most vulnerable groups, suffer greater ill-health and receive poorer quality of care than other segments of the population. They die younger, suffer from higher rates of disease and struggle more to access health services compared to the rest of the population. More often than not, this ill-health and poor healthcare is a symptom of poverty and discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Minorities frequently live in remote or inaccessible localities and often Government health-care facilities and provision do not reach there. In many countries, the health-care infrastructure, including hospitals or clinics, is simply not available in minority areas. In some cases, health-care provision comes at a cost relating to treatment and drugs that poor communities - often minority communities - cannot afford. The infrastructure to ensure safe drinking water and hygiene facilities may also not reach areas where minorities live. In some cases the provision of health care is also limited due to discrimination. New attention to minorities and strategies to address their health situations are urgently required. A greater understanding of their health needs is essential and requires research and data collection.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- In Nepal, according to UNDP, life expectancy of a Hill Dalit was 61 in 2009 compared to 68 for a higher caste Hill Brahmin. A 2011 Open Society Foundation study reported that Roma are disproportionately unvaccinated, have poorer than average nutrition and experience higher rates of infant mortality and tuberculosis. There is evidence that life expectancy among Roma communities is 10 to 15 years lower than in non-Roma communities. In Cameroon, visited by the Independent Expert in 2013, the access to health and health situation of Pygmy communities is extremely poor relative to other population groups. In Pakistan, UNICEF reports that the maternal mortality ratio for Baluchistan - largely inhabited by the Baluchi minority - is 758 per 100,000 live births, almost three times the national average of 276 per 100,000 and far from the MDG target of 140 per 100,000.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Economic exclusion is a cause, a manifestation and a consequence of discrimination against minorities. As was strongly emphasized at the World Conference against Racism in Durban in 2001, poverty can contribute to the persistence of racist attitudes and practices, which in turn generate more poverty, a situation coined as the "vicious cycle of poverty". Many minorities have historically been excluded from full and effective participation in economic life, both in the developed and developing world. Minorities face discrimination when they seek employment due to their colour, religion, language or names. Minorities are poorly represented even in public-sector employment, including where legislation bans discrimination in public and private sectors. They may face barriers in accessing credit or loans and may live in the poorest or remote regions that offer limited prospects for their economic development. Large-scale economic development projects or commercial activities carried out on the lands where minorities live frequently have negative impacts, including displacement, perpetuation of poverty and, in some cases, violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Several factors exacerbate the exclusion of minorities, including deteriorating economic conditions, ethnic tensions and rising discrimination. Unequal regional distribution of resources and services and a lack of basic infrastructure in regions where minorities live often have the effect of preventing them from fully exercising their economic and social rights. The past decade has brought new and unanticipated challenges, including the global food and economic crises that have been proven to have a greater impact on particular vulnerable groups and minorities. Failing to fully include and integrate minorities also means that States are missing out on economic developments and benefits that such inclusion brings. World Bank studies have shown how the inclusion of currently marginalized and excluded minorities in economic life would lead to increased GDP.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Directly linked to health concerns, minorities are frequently in a vulnerable situation in regard to hunger, food security and nutrition. High levels of poverty and extreme poverty, lack of access to employment or secure forms of income, land or land tenure all impact on their food security. In India, for example, child malnutrition is some 14-20 per cent higher for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and has been declining at a slower rate than for the rest of the populations over the period of the MDGs. In country visits by the mandate holders to Rwanda (2011) and Cameroon (2013), food security and nutrition was a major concern of Batwa and Pygmy communities, many of whom are displaced from traditional forest habitats and can no longer maintain their hunter/gather lifestyles and access forest-based food sources.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Food & Nutrition
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Globally, minorities often suffer disproportionately from the impact of conflict. Many examples demonstrate clearly the impact of conflict upon minorities and their development and rights, which in some cases has been devastating and has set progress towards development goals back by years for certain groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The huge impact of conflict and instability on minorities in Iraq has been documented, including for Muslim minorities, Baha'is, Christians, Armenians, Chaldo-Assyrians, Faili Kurds, Palestinians, Jews, Sabian Mandaeans, Yazidis and others. Minority Rights Group states that: "Minorities in Iraq have continued to be targeted on the grounds of their religion or ethnicity since the US-led invasion and fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. They have suffered from killings, kidnappings, torture, harassment, forced conversions and the destruction of homes and property." Persecution, human rights violations and targeted attacks have led to vast numbers of internally displaced persons and a mass exodus of minority communities to neighbouring countries, where they continue to experience severe challenges and poverty. Equally, in Egypt and the Syrian Arab Republic, the full extent of unrest and conflict on minorities is becoming evident and has far-reaching implications for their rights and security.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- In Rakhine State in Myanmar, conflict between the Rakhine Buddhists and Muslim Rohingya communities erupted in 2012 and resulted in the killing of hundreds, the destruction of homes and property and the internal displacement of over 130,000 people, mostly minority Muslims. Tens of thousands of displaced people, and many thousands of others in villages affected by the conflict and insecurity, now have no access to livelihood activities or income, are dependent on humanitarian assistance for food, shelter, health care, education and water and sanitation. The conflict has had a catastrophic impact on their rights, access to essential services and development, forcing many into a condition of extreme poverty and insecurity. The Government of Myanmar does not recognize the Rohingya as citizens with implications for their enjoyment of all their human rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- According to the report of the United Nations System Task Team on the Post-2015 United Nations Development Agenda: "Deepening resilience among vulnerable populations and reducing risks of disasters and other shocks must be central to limiting the social and economic costs of disasters, in terms of death, hunger, malnutrition, displacement and forced migration." Equally, Claus H. Sorensen, Director-General of the European Commission Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection stated: Those who are most vulnerable and marginalised need primary attention when a disaster strikes, both because the impact of the disaster is likely to be higher on them than others, and because of the likelihood that they find themselves excluded from response and recovery efforts. By systematically addressing in each action the inclusion of those who are marginalised (in particular, persons affected by caste discrimination, minorities, as well as persons with disabilities, women, and the elderly), lives have been saved, the suffering of those in need has been alleviated, and their dignity protected.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- In South Asia, experiences from the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the 2004 Asian Tsunami and flooding in Nepal in 2008, the Indian States of Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Assam during 2007-2009, and Pakistan in 2010, demonstrated that Dalits are frequently the worst affected and also often "systematically excluded from relief and recovery efforts". The impact of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on African-American communities was well documented as were deficiencies in the relief and reconstruction efforts. Minorities may be more vulnerable to natural disaster due to the location of their homes in marginal locations, vulnerable occupations, and poor-quality housing. The environmental impact of development mega-projects often has a disproportionate impact on minorities, as demonstrated by the impact of aggro-business projects on Afro-Colombian minorities and their lands and indigenous minorities in the Gambella region of Ethiopa displaced from their lands, as well as the impact on Pygmy communities of the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline in Cameroon - a few of many examples.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert provided a submission to the Global Consultation on Governance and the Post-2015 Framework held in South Africa in February 2013 in which she highlighted that minorities globally are poorly represented in all levels of government, decision-making bodies and public-sector employment. At the national level, political and administrative frameworks and public-sector structures with responsibilities for development are often staffed by and geared towards majority communities. Good and inclusive governance is essential to ensuring the rights of minorities. Inclusive governance, representative of minorities, ensures that their issues are not neglected and that policies and programmes are developed with their interests in mind. When minorities are excluded from decision-making and public bodies responsible for implementation of development initiatives, it is inevitable that strategies will neglect minorities or lack the specialist information about their situations and needs to ensure that projects are successful and sustainable.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert highlighted in her 2012 report to the General Assembly, the fact that efforts to ensure minority rights and equality frequently require States to implement positive measures and approaches, as required by the Declaration. Positive change for disadvantaged minorities can be facilitated by appropriate institutional attention given to minority rights and a policy and programme framework within which to address minority issues. Institutional attention for minority rights is the logical next step from legislation to concrete action for the protection and promotion of minority rights. A key recommendation is that States consider institutional attention for minority rights both as a good governance obligation, and as an essential component of their human rights, equality and non-discrimination commitments.
- 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Access to affordable energy is essential for development and yet minority communities are frequently disproportionately affected by "energy poverty" that impacts on all areas of their lives and restricts their opportunities and development. Minority communities often live in remote or poor rural areas that are poorly served by energy infrastructure. Indeed minorities may also be negatively affected by energy-generating projects which take place in the areas in which they live, but from which they do not fully benefit. A lack of affordable energy impacts on communities in a host of ways: restricting their ability to reform and increase agricultural production; impacting on the ability to undertake entrepreneurial activities; and creating difficulties in providing electricity to enable children to study and clean, healthy options for cooking. The objective of achieving affordable, sustainable energy for all is therefore particularly relevant for minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- A 2012 regional Roma survey, revealed that between 70 and 90 per cent of Roma surveyed reported living in conditions of severe material deprivation. Roma settlements frequently lack energy provision, sometimes because they are classified as illegal settlements and do not fall within energy and infrastructure plans. Communities in Bulgaria, visited by the mandate holder in 2011, described paying more for energy from private providers and being unable to afford energy bills owing to lack of employment and low incomes. Key questions must be asked at the national level, which include: who are those most affected by lack of access to affordable energy?
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Catarina de Albuquerque, focused her 2012 report to the Council (A/HRC/21/42) on stigmatization in the realization of the rights to water and sanitation. The report examines different manifestations of stigma in the context of the human rights to water and sanitation and explores recommendations for policymaking and solutions to prevent and respond to human rights violations resulting from stigma. The Special Rapporteur found that stigma pushes people to the margins of society and results in the rejection, avoidance and marginalization of certain groups. Access to water and sanitation for many Roma communities is notoriously precarious. Similarly, the report highlights that Dalit habitations are often systematically excluded from service provision.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- On 30 October 2013, the Friends of Water, UNICEF, the Special Rapporteur and OHCHR issued a press statement calling for the post-2015 development agenda to be framed around the principles of equality and non-discrimination in the context of water and sanitation. The statement called for future goals, targets and indicators to be framed to include an explicit focus on the most marginalized and disadvantaged groups and individuals, including through the use of disaggregated data. "Success" must be assessed in relation to the progress made in closing gaps or inequalities in access to sanitation, water and hygiene. New priorities should focus on the millions of marginalized peoples who have remained hidden within aggregate statistics, and who continue to have no access to basic services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Population dynamics include trends and changes in population growth, migration, urbanization, population density and age structures, and are a core element of the consultations. However, consideration of this area of development rarely addresses inequalities and the dimensions of population associated with majority/minority relations. Trends towards urbanization, for example, are frequently least pronounced for minority populations resulting in growing rural/urban and majority/minority divides. Birth rates may decrease in increasingly affluent population groups but remain high amongst the poorest, often minority, communities, serving to perpetuate their poverty. In many countries, there are clear geographical boundaries between population groups and equally clear socioeconomic divides between population groups - commonly, minorities fall on the wrong side of such divides.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Population dynamics may be deeply affected by discrimination and social exclusion exercised by one population group against another. The dynamics between and across different population groups should therefore also be given greater attention. For example, conflict between communities and enforced population movement due to conflict results in internal displacement that may affect minorities disproportionately and have a greater and longer-term impact on their rights, their access to livelihood, income and basic services. Globally, millions of people are affected by displacement and they are often minorities who are numerically fewer, politically and militarily non-dominant and the most vulnerable to social and political unrest and the impact of conflict. A fundamental message of the Independent Expert is that protection of minority rights and the creation of a culture of minority rights within wider society promotes conditions of stability under which human rights and development crises and setbacks, and huge population impacts, are less likely to occur.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Equality for minorities is a human right and must be recognized as a core development goal. There are compelling arguments for greater attention being given to disadvantaged minorities in post-2015 development agendas and future development goals. Foremost amongst these is that globally, disadvantaged minorities remain among the poorest and most socially and economically excluded communities. The Independent Expert considers that a real risk exists that many millions of persons belonging to minorities globally will continue to be "left behind" if there is not a clear commitment at the global and national levels to address their plight as a high global development priority.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Minorities should be among the first targets of development strategies, yet frequently they are among the last. Lack of attention to the situations of minorities constitutes one of the most serious deficiencies in the MDG process and an important impediment to achieving certain goals in some States. Without significant and continuing efforts to raise attention to the need for solutions that work effectively for disadvantaged minorities, post 2015 strategies may continue to follow the same patterns, priorities and models that have proved to be flawed in their ability to address the development needs of disadvantaged minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The relationship between inequality, discrimination and poverty cannot be ignored or underestimated. Tens of millions of people worldwide are trapped in a cycle of discrimination, exclusion, poverty and underdevelopment from which they cannot break out without targeted attention given to their situations. It is imperative that the United Nations and others, as they move forward to craft a new set of development objectives and targets, addresses the inequalities faced by national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Despite the valuable new attention to inequalities, even within the numerous consultation reports emerging from the process, there is a tendency to place minorities at the end of a long list of disadvantaged groups or ignore them completely. The message that emerges from these high-level documents is that they are a relatively low priority in comparison to other inequality issues including gender equality, disability, children and age.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The post-2015 framework of new goals should be based on human rights, including minority rights as established in the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, and the principles of equality, non-discrimination and participation. A focus on disadvantaged minorities and specific minority groups, including Roma, people of African Descent, Dalits, and disadvantaged religious and linguistic minorities worldwide would potentially bring much needed development attention to millions of the most excluded and impoverished peoples globally.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The need for disaggregated data to reveal the inequalities experienced by persons belonging to minority groups remains essential and national efforts to collect and analyse such data should be enhanced and assisted by the international community. Disaggregated data are needed across all goals and in relation to such crucial areas as education, employment, health, and household income. Such data not only allows inequalities to be identified, they assist in the design of appropriate targeted solutions and in the monitoring and evaluation of progress towards achieving goals for minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Nevertheless, in the majority of countries where disaggregated data are lacking, Governments, national institutions and development actors, as well as United Nations specialized agencies, are generally well aware of which communities are the most excluded, marginalized and impoverished - frequently disadvantaged minority communities. Consequently, lack of statistical evidence and data must not be used to justify lack of attention to the needs of disadvantaged minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Within the framework of a strong equality-focused goal or goals, it will be crucial to establish specific targets for States on the inclusion of minorities and specific indicators upon which to measure progress. The participation of minorities needs to be ensured and increased in all phases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Targeted affirmative action policies for addressing the economic and social exclusion of minorities, including specific social and economic development plans for marginalized groups and the regions in which they live are required. Where appropriate, dedicated institutional attention should be given to minorities in the States where they live, including through designated ministries, departments or units, focal points, ombudspersons, commissions etc in order for national action plans to be implemented with the necessary attention given to minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- The international donor community should clearly recognize the need to give attention to disadvantaged minorities and ensure that, at the global level, this is reflected in the process of developing a new set of development goals and in the goals themselves. At the national level, donors should ensure that sufficient resources are provided to States to support their activities and are directed towards projects and programmes meeting the needs of the most disadvantaged minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert urges States to establish independent monitoring bodies with civil society and public participation, including of minorities, to ensure that the next round of commitments made at the global level are fulfilled for 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
- 2014
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2015
- Document code
- A/HRC/28/64
Document
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is alarmed by the high number of complaints reaching her about hateful messages and incitement to hatred that have fuelled tensions and often led to hate crimes. In her 2014 report to the General Assembly (A/69/266), she focused on violence and atrocity crimes against minorities and listed cases of attacks against minority groups that she had brought to the attention of Member States concerned, either through communications (letters of allegation or urgent action letters) or public press releases. She believes that more should be done to monitor and react, in a timely manner, to hate speech and incitement to hatred and violence to prevent tensions and violence which damage the entire social fabric, unity and stability of societies. Tolerance and inaction reinforce the subordination of targeted minorities, making them more vulnerable to attacks, but also influencing majority populations and potentially making them more indifferent to the various manifestations of such hatred.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Although not all hateful messages result in actual hate crimes, hate crimes rarely occur without prior stigmatization and dehumanization of targeted groups and incitement to hate incidents fuelled by religious or racial bias. Few countries collect data on hate crimes, their causes and victims that would enable policy-makers to better protect population groups at risk.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In the United States, in 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Uniform Crime Reporting Program, recorded almost 6,000 hate crimes incidents: 48.5 per cent were racially motivated (66 per cent anti-Black, 21 per cent anti-White, 5 per cent anti-Asian, 4 per cent anti-American Indian or Alaska Native); 17.4 per cent were motivated by religious bias (59 per cent anti-Semitic, 14 per cent anti-Islamic, 6 per cent anti-Catholic); and 11.1 per cent stemmed from ethnicity bias (53 per cent anti-Hispanic or Latino biased).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- In Europe, in 2008, the Fundamental Rights Agency conducted a survey of 23,500 respondents from ethnic minority and immigrant groups to assess how many had been victims of assault, threat or serious harassment with a perceived racist motive. The survey found that between 16 per cent and 32 per cent of Roma, and between 19 per cent and 32 per cent of persons of African origin reported being victims of racial discrimination. Another survey of 5,900 respondents in nine European Union Member States found that up to one third of Jewish people had experienced verbal abuse or physical anti-semitic violence. The Special Rapporteur considers that many incidents could be prevented with timely and appropriate responses to hateful messages, including through better representation and inclusion of minorities in mainstream communication platforms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- No country or society is free from hatred and it is most often those belonging to national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities who are the targets of hate. But what are the causes of such hatred and how does it evolve from a thought or a viewpoint to infect a whole society or result in acts of violence? This is an essential question that we must become better at answering if we are to effectively confront hatred in all its forms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Hatred is often constructed, fuelled, maintained and directed by certain individuals or groups against other individuals and communities who are different, in ethnicity, language or religion from the dominant majority, often for political reasons or due to long-standing and entrenched discrimination. Hateful messages may fall on particularly fertile ground where there are wider social, economic or political problems or divisions in society. The root causes of hatred often lie beyond purely ethnic or religious difference.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Hatred very often stems from wider societal shortcomings, including the lack of or unequal access to resources; partisan politics; corruption; deficits in good and inclusive governance; and the reality or perception of bias and favouritism along ethnic or religious lines, which can fuel distrust, suspicion and anger. It was found that where inclusive governance, equality and human rights prevail and communities have placed trust in their leadership, there were fewer communal fractures and concerns about minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Governments, civil society and the international community must be alert to the warning signs of hatred and violence much earlier: when the first words of hate speech are uttered; when media start to promote negative stereotypes; or once there is an atmosphere of discomfort and animosity when minorities exercise their right to freely and openly practise their religion, use their language, or assert their right to have a voice in political life and the decisions that affect them.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Many States continue to lack domestic anti-discrimination and anti-hate speech laws and, even where they exist, implementation of the law is often poor and court cases are rare. States must not make quick or easy assumptions that minorities feel secure because of constitutions and laws that codify minority rights on paper. It is essential that States find ways to understand the feelings and concerns of minorities and that the required institutional attention to minority issues and consultative bodies and processes is in place.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The present thematic study provides an overview of the role of media in relation to hate speech and incitement to hatred and violence. It refers to the role of international standards and processes with regard to the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, and will address the major challenges to combating hate speech in the media. Different measures and good practices that can be implemented by States and civil society actors will be analysed.
- 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
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- There are numerous examples, both historical and present-day, of how media is used as a means of portraying minority groups in an offensive and stereotyped way and, in the most extreme cases, to directly incite violence. The Nazi regime used media for a massive propaganda campaign against Jews, Roma, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals and others. A propaganda ministry controlled the media, exerting censorship on books and authors to suppress opposing viewpoints and to reinforce Nazi ideology of racial superiority and anti-Semitism. Jews were repeatedly portrayed as the cause of societal problems and dehumanized in the public discourse. Around six million Jews, as well as Roma and others were murdered in the Nazi Holocaust.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, media played a major role in supporting and inciting ethnic hatred and violence against Tutsi and moderate Hutu populations. The newspaper Kangura spread hatred against Tutsis, publishing articles and graphic cartoons in which Tutsis were attacked. A wider audience was reached by radio stations, which were key in transmitting hate propaganda and incitement to violence. Radio Rwanda and Radio Télévision des Milles Collines (RTML) instigated, encouraged and directed massacres. Hate messages broadcast during the genocide referred to Tutsis as "cockroaches" and issued instructions to kill them. Nearly one million people were killed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- In the post-9/11 era, Islam and Muslims have been subject to stigmatization and hostility in Western media. Certain media outlets have identified Islam with terrorism, which, according to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, is a major driver of resurgent Islamophobia around the world (E/CN.4/2006/17). Despite many civil society organizations delivering pro-Muslim discourses after the September 11 attacks, anti-Islamic fringe organizations have exploited mass media to spread messages of fear and anger. The former Independent Expert on minority issues noted in a report (A/HRC/13/23/Add.2) that members of Muslim and Arab communities in Canada stated that negative stereotypes had been reinforced since September 2001, including in the mass media, resulting in their reluctance to engage in public debate or raise their concerns.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Prejudices and entrenched stereotypes against Roma are common and Roma communities are frequently the target of degrading and inflammatory language. In 2013, the case of a young blonde girl who was found living in a Roma settlement in Greece, prompted a wave of anti-Roma reports and accusations that Roma had abducted her. Such allegations prompted additional allegations from other countries. The accusations were subsequently found to be unfounded. Indeed, they were made prior to a comprehensive investigation and were based on sensationalist media coverage. The Special Rapporteur called on media and commentators to refrain from generalizations on the supposed criminality of Roma and warned that hateful rhetoric would trigger further stigmatization and even violence against Roma.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In the Central African Republic, hate speech has been recognized as having played a role in inflaming and fuelling violence and has been described by United Nations officials as a possible precursor to serious human rights violations, including potential genocide. In March 2014, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide alerted the media that Muslims were being "deliberately and systematically targeted by the anti-Balaka" in attacks referred to as "cleansing operations". He referred to reports of hate speech by anti-Balaka (Christian armed groups) on public media referring to Muslims as "rotten potatoes" and public justification of their actions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- On 2 July 2014, the Special Rapporteur called on Sri Lanka to stop racial and faith-based hatred and violence directed at Muslim and Christian communities by Buddhist groups with extremist views, and to bring perpetrators to justice. Various statements have promoted extremist views, proclaiming the racial superiority of Sinhala Buddhists and alleging that statues of Buddha are being bulldozed by religious minorities or that evangelical Christians are forcibly converting vulnerable people. Those statements reportedly contributed to over 350 violent attacks against Muslims and over 150 attacks against Christians in the past two years.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Social media is a fertile ground for radical and terrorist groups to spread hateful messages. ISIL uses online platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube, to deliver updates on their actions as well as to reach out to potential donors and recruits, including posting videos and graphic material. The misuse of social media by ISIL has been described by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as "the product of a perverse and lethal marriage of a new form of nihilism with the digital age".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Social media platforms have also been used to disseminate hate speech content against groups, which has fuelled intercommunal tensions and led, in some cases, to violent clashes among communities. Following a country visit in July 2014, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar expressed her concern over the spread of misinformation, hate speech and incitement to violence, discrimination and hostility in the media and Internet, particularly targeted against Muslim communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities establishes 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" and requires that States adopt appropriate legislative and other measures to achieve those ends (art. 1). The Declaration also emphasizes that persons belonging to minorities "have the right to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, and to use their language, in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination" (art. 2.1). The commentary on the Declaration encourages States to adopt laws protecting against acts or incitement to acts which physically threaten the existence of groups or threaten their identity.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide recognizes that genocide is an international crime, which entails the national and international responsibility of individual persons and States. According to article 3 of the Convention, the following acts shall be punishable: (a) genocide; (b) conspiracy to commit genocide; (c) direct and public incitement to commit genocide; (d) attempt to commit genocide; and (e) complicity in genocide.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prohibits "any propaganda for war" as well as "any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence" (art. 20).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination obligates States to condemn "all propaganda and all organizations which are based on ideas or theories of superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin, or which attempt to justify or promote racial hatred and discrimination in any form, and undertake to adopt immediate and positive measures designed to eradicate all incitement to, or acts of, such discrimination" (art. 4). Furthermore, three situations constitute offences punishable by law: (a) all dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, incitement to racial discrimination, as well as all acts of violence or incitement to such acts against any race or group of persons of another colour or ethnic origin, and also the provision of any assistance to racist activities, including the financing thereof; (b) organizations, organized and all other propaganda activities which promote and incite discrimination-which must be declared illegal and prohibited-, and participation in such organizations or activities; (c) promotion or incitement of racial discrimination by public authorities or public institutions, national or local.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- In its general recommendation No. 35 (2013) on combating racist hate speech, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination stresses, inter alia, the role of racist hate speech in processes leading to mass violations of human rights and genocide and in conflict situations and points out that racist hate speech can emanate from individuals or groups, can be disseminated orally, in print, through electronic media (Internet, social networking sites), as well as by non-verbal expression (racist symbols, images, behaviour at public gatherings). It emphasizes that media representations of ethnic, indigenous and other groups should be based on principles of respect, fairness and the avoidance of stereotyping. It formulates specific recommendations, including the adoption of appropriate legislation in line with international standards, the establishment of codes of professional ethics and press codes, the promotion of media pluralism and the facilitation of access to and ownership of media by minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence constitutes a comprehensive framework to assist States in implementing their obligations to combat incitement to hatred. It contains specific recommendations and guidance on balancing freedom of expression enshrined in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with the prohibitions in article 20, through a six-part threshold test for forms of speech that are prohibited under criminal law. Among the key factors put forward in the Plan to prevent incitement to hatred are the collective responsibility of States, media and society, and the need to foster social consciousness, tolerance, mutual respect, and intercultural dialogue.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights does not contain provisions referring specifically to the prohibition of incitement to national, racial or religious hatred. However the Charter states that: "all peoples shall be equal; they shall enjoy the same respect and shall have the same rights. Nothing shall justify the domination of a people by another" (art. 19) and that "every individual shall have the duty to respect and consider his fellow beings without discrimination, and to maintain relations aimed at promoting, safeguarding and reinforcing mutual respect and tolerance" (art. 28). The American Convention on Human Rights states that: "any propaganda for war and any advocacy of national, racial, or religious hatred that constitute incitements to lawless violence or to any other similar action against any person or group of persons on any grounds including those of race, color, religion, language, or national origin shall be considered as offenses punishable by law" (art. 13.5).
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The European Court of Human Rights, in its recommendations and jurisprudence on the European Convention on Human Rights, has identified a number of forms of expression which are considered offensive and contrary to the Convention, including racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, aggressive nationalism and discrimination against minorities and immigrants. The Court makes a distinction between genuine and serious incitement to extremism and, on the other hand the right of individuals (including journalists and politicians) to express their views freely and to "offend, shock or disturb" others. Other relevant standards include the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime and its Additional Protocol and the Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA on combating certain forms and expression of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law.
- 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
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Hate speech has been described as "the special scourge of minorities and indigenous peoples". Unfortunately, hate speech and incitement to hatred are on the rise in many countries across all continents and these hateful messages are frequently transmitted through traditional media and the Internet. A number of factors are involved in making minority groups the targets of hate speech in the media.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- There is no universally accepted definition of "hate speech". The term encompasses a wide array of hateful messages, ranging from offensive, derogatory, abusive and negative stereotyping remarks and comments, to intimidating, inflammatory speech inciting violence against specific individuals and groups. Only the most egregious forms of hate speech, namely those constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility and violence, are generally considered unlawful. Cultural paradigms must be understood and taken into account when considering whether certain comments or images constitute hate speech, incitement or defamation, and States have a margin of appreciation in establishing such thresholds. Nevertheless, a balance must be struck that does not unduly restrict the rights of individuals or place individuals under the threat of violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Discussion over what constitutes hate speech poses a recurring dilemma vis-à-vis the right to freedom of expression and its limits. It remains necessary to protect freedom of expression while at the same time guaranteeing the rights of others, public order and, in some cases, national security. Nevertheless, as stressed by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, far from being incompatible, the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the prohibition of incitement to hatred are "mutually supportive", as the public debate of ideas as well as interfaith and intercultural dialogue can prevent hate and intolerance.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- In order to develop consistent and effective legislation and measures to prohibit and penalize incitement to hatred, hate speech should not be confused with other types of inflammatory, hateful or offensive speech. As experts have stated, the intended or actual effects of speech can be a useful indicator to distinguish incitement to hatred from other categories of hate speech: in the case of incitement to hatred, the speaker seeks to provoke reactions on the part of the audience, specifically to influence the audience to share the views expressed or implied in the speech and to respond against the victim groups with hostility, discrimination or violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers uses a broader approach: "the term "hate speech" shall be understood as covering all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or justify racial hatred, xenophobia, anti?Semitism or other forms of hatred based on intolerance, including: intolerance expressed by aggressive nationalism and ethnocentrism, discrimination and hostility against minorities, migrants and people of immigrant origin."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- Lack of clear definitions of the content and elements of the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to hatred, in legal systems, may lead to misapplication of the law, including the use of anti-hate speech legislation to persecute and suppress critical or dissenting voices. For example, so-called "blasphemy laws" may result in the censure of inter- and intra-religious dialogue, debate and criticism; many of those laws are also applied in a discriminatory manner, as they offer different levels of protection to different religious beliefs. As highlighted by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, "the risk that legal provisions prohibiting hate speech are interpreted loosely and applied selectively by the authorities underlines the importance of having unambiguous language and of devising effective safeguards against abuses of the law".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- A series of consultations involving OHCHR, civil society and academics were held to provide a clearer definition of the key terms contained in article 20, paragraph 2, of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, one of which resulted in "The Camden Principles on Freedom of Expression and Equality". Principle 12 states as follows: (a) the terms "hatred" and "hostility" refer to intense and irrational emotions of opprobrium, enmity and detestation towards the target group; (b) "advocacy" must be understood as requiring an intention to promote hatred publicly towards the target group; (c) "incitement" refers to statements about national, racial or religious groups which create an imminent risk of discrimination, hostility or violence against persons belonging to those groups; (d) the promotion, by different communities, of a positive sense of group identity does not constitute hate speech.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- A six-part test has been developed by the NGO Article 19 to determine the appropriate threshold for assessing the types of expressions constituting "incitement to hatred": (1) context of the expression, including consideration of existing conflicts within society, existence and history of institutionalized discrimination, history of clashes and conflicts over resources, the legal framework and the media landscape. In relation to media, issues to be examined include censorship, existence of barriers to establishing media outlets, limits to the independence of the media or journalists, broad and unclear restrictions on the content to publish or broadcast and evidence of bias in the application of the restrictions, absence of criticism of government or wide-ranging policy debate in the media and access by the audience to a range of alternative and easily accessible views and speeches; (2) speaker, including consideration of his/her official position, level of authority or influence over the audience and whether the statement was made by a person in his/her official capacity. Politicians and public officials or persons of similar status should be given special consideration; (3) intent of the speaker to incite hatred, not mere recklessness or negligence; (4) content of the expression, including what was said, the targeted audience and the targeted potential victims, tone and form of the speech; (5) extent and magnitude of the expression, including the means of dissemination (press, audiovisual media, work of art, etc.); (6) likelihood of harm occurring, including its imminence.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- As underscored by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (A/66/290), it is necessary to differentiate between illegal expression, which States are required to prohibit under international law, and expression considered harmful, offensive, objectionable or undesirable, but which States are neither required to prohibit or criminalize. It is important to differentiate between three types of expression: (a) expression constituting an offence under international law that can be prosecuted criminally; (b) expression not criminally punishable but that may justify a restriction and a civil suit; (c) expression that does not give rise to criminal or civil sanctions but still raise concerns in terms of tolerance, civility and respect for others. Negative or stereotyped characterizations of minority groups may fall under any of those three categories.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur considers that, while much attention is rightly paid to legal responses to hate speech, equal attention and discussion should be dedicated to non-legal and social responses. She was impressed by community initiatives, in which hate groups have been confronted and halted by ordinary citizens, and alternative and creative ways that have been initiated to tackle hate speech.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Although several constitutions and legislative acts regulate incitement to hatred, practice in respect of national case law differs greatly. In African societies, the importance of traditional conflict resolution methods, the limited number of applicable modern judicial remedies, the lack of public awareness of such remedies, and the weakness of national policies to prevent incitement to hatred were identified as contributing factors to low levels of prosecution. In the Americas, judicial decisions have been made in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Peru and the United States of America, but none has been made in Central America or in the Caribbean.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Minorities are often portrayed in a stereotyped manner in the media, through broad generalizations of perceived characteristics of the group as a whole, which, in many cases, are negative or derogatory. The repeated presentation of broad negative stereotypes of minority groups, as, for example, criminals, violent, untrustworthy, disloyal, alien or dirty, nurtures inaccurate and false assumptions and opinions that may eventually develop into discriminatory attitudes and entrenched prejudices. Stereotypes may have the objective of or result in stigmatizing and dehumanizing whole communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- There is a broad spectrum of either deliberate or unintentional negative stereotyping of minority groups in the media, ranging from emphasis on the ethnic or religious background of a person responsible for an offence or repeated association of derogatory and dangerous characteristics with specific groups, to the most virulent attacks against minority members, which commonly highlight alleged differences between "us" versus "them". In some cases, there is direct incitement to violence. Such negative portrayals may reinforce entrenched views of ethnic or religious minorities as "others" and perpetuate ideas of structural disadvantage and inequality, as they fail to present a broader and more accurate representation of the situation and challenges faced by minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Studies reveal that poor reporting by the media on features such as ethnicity and religion involves, inter alia, labelling, selected use of data, generalizing incidents, negative stereotyping, giving one side of a story, use of derogatory words, mixing facts and views, absence of fact checking, and mismatching of the content of the text and headlines, images and sound. Lack of knowledge about ethnic and religious issues by media reporters, absence of in-house training, poor financial situation of media outlets, heavy workload and scarce time to prepare reports were highlighted as obstacles to good, unprejudiced reporting.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Pluralistic media is key to providing independent and objective information as it incorporates diverse viewpoints. Media diversity not only refers to the existence of varied media outlets but to the access to mass media by minority groups, as well as to the existence of a plurality of viewpoints within media outlets. Underrepresentation of minorities in the media means that their voices and influence are absent to counter negative expressions. Minorities face numerous challenges both in their access to and representation in the media.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- There are few statistics available about representation of minorities in media organs due to the lack of disaggregated data. One study in the United Kingdom confirmed a gross imbalance between white and ethnic minority journalists in relation to training and employment patterns and opportunities within the news media. Only 0.5 per cent of national newspaper journalists and only 0.2 per cent of provincial press journalists were Black or Asian. In the broadcasting industry, an estimated 2.7 per cent of editorial staff were Black or Asian. While equal opportunities policies, ethnic minority monitoring and training schemes of the BBC have helped, half of all Black staff work on black-only radio and television programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Access by minority groups to the media in many countries is limited or completely restricted. Persons belonging to linguistic minorities are typically disadvantaged in the media marketplace, and the resulting lack of linguistic plurality within the media has been referred to as "soft assimilation", in that the only available media is in the language of the majority, which fails to reflect minority needs, preferences and issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in its general recommendation No. 35 (2013) on combating racist hate speech, stressed the importance of media pluralism to counter racist hate speech and highlighted that it entails "facilitation of access to and ownership of media by minority, indigenous and other groups …, including media in their own languages" (para. 41). Representation of minority groups in the media is a crucial means to promote the participation of minorities in society and to incorporate pluralistic approaches. The Council of Europe has stressed the fundamental role of minority media in both playing a mediating role between communities and providing access to minority networks and to alternative sources of information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- While minority media can fulfil an important role in preserving language, culture and minority identity, it has very limited potential to balance negative stereotyping, stigmatization, homogenization or fight back against hate speech emanating from mainstream media. This is partly due to the fact that minority media tends to be accessed by minority audiences and messages broadcast by them are often regarded as inferior by the society at large, compared to differing majority media viewpoints.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Representation of minority groups in mainstream media is essential to ensure diversity in content and in the make-up and structures of media bodies themselves. However, this is hindered by the constant struggle of media organs to survive in competitive marketplaces where priorities are to reach maximum audiences and advertisers. The perception is that those goals can be best achieved by catering to the needs and interests of majority populations, so minority interests, voices and opinions tend be marginalized. The recruitment of journalists and media workers with diverse ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds in today's multicultural societies is a pressing need to achieve a more objective and "stereotype-free" media.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Some scholars consider the right to freedom of expression as absolute, suggesting that democratic societies should not permit the exclusion of any views, even if they are offensive or inflammatory. Such theories often fail to recognize the fundamental existence of structural inequalities in society, which make some more vulnerable, including to attack, whether verbal or physical. Many examples from different regions demonstrate the connection between hate speech and violence and that there are legitimate grounds to limit freedom of speech when it is motivated by or seeks to incite racial, religious or other forms of hatred.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- It is difficult to talk about upholding the values of democracy and equality if certain groups are completely excluded from participating in or shaping that democracy in practice. If marginalized communities lack access to public platforms and communication channels, they have no possibilities to influence public opinion or to seek and obtain justice. Roma communities struggle to respond to hate speech in mass media from far-right groups and political parties, since Roma are almost completely excluded from mainstream media platforms. Where communities are regarded as inferior in any society, their voices will also be treated as inferior, regardless of how loudly they shout and how valid their concerns.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Action to address hate speech and hate crime must engage majority communities, including politicians, intellectuals, celebrities and ordinary people concerned about hatred in their societies, to join marginalized and disadvantaged minorities in demanding human rights, equality and human dignity for all. Such coordinated struggle must include legislative steps, but also requires swift and efficient social responses. If hate incidents are not tackled early, targeted groups may experience permanent damage to their self-esteem and sense of belonging within their societies, thereby increasing their marginalization. Majority communities may also gradually become desensitized to hate speech, to the point where they begin to accept the hostility and stigmatization against certain groups in their societies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Media, in all its diverse forms, is an essential component of today's societies, providing huge benefits and possibilities, including in the field of minority issues and inter-faith or intercommunity cohesion. Media offers immediacy in communication and exchange of information, often in different languages and representing different ethnic, religious and cultural viewpoints, which can reach all audiences.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The format of the media environment has undergone a dramatic transformation to host Internet and online media platforms, allowing live interaction and more rapid outreach worldwide. In the digital age, media has also widened its scope to include social media, where people share and/or exchange information, ideas and initiatives across vast national and international networks and virtual communities. New forms of online media which allow those who advocate hate speech or cyberhate to easily access large audiences are subject to less regulation than traditional media and provide anonymity to those who wish to exploit it.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- While digital media has provided new spaces for minority groups to participate in the public debate, the accessibility, rapidness and relative anonymity provided by the Internet also provide fertile ground for spreading hateful content. Hate speech on the Internet adopts many forms and is disseminated through different digital platforms - from highly organized hate groups which recruit, radicalize and instruct followers to attack targeted groups; the issuing of "hit lists" containing calls for violence against individuals; "cyberbullying", which targets primarily youth and often originates from racial, ethnic or religious bias; dissemination of propaganda, misinformation and hate spam; exchange of information and ideas via social media networks, discussion groups, listservs and communities of interest.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The anonymity of the Internet poses particular challenges when it comes to tracking and prosecuting the authors of content that might incite hatred and violence. Material can be shared worldwide and hosted by Internet service providers (ISPs) subject to various legislations with diverse degrees of protection against hate speech. Racist hate websites are commonly hosted in jurisdictions considered favourable to or tolerant of hate speech and can easily relocate to another permissive jurisdiction if blocked or banned.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- Given that social media platforms are mostly self-regulating and therefore dependent on reporting by users of material perceived as hateful or harmful, their content can be accessible until it is ultimately flagged by community members as material contravening the site's guidelines. In addition to legislative and jurisdictional challenges, there are technical difficulties involved in removing hate-inciting material from the Internet.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Online media and communication platforms make it easier for extremist groups to organize themselves, even transnationally. In Europe, anti-immigrant populist radical-right political parties increased their representation in the European Parliament from only 8 per cent in 2009 to close to 15 per cent in the 2014 election. This rise of ethno-nationalist right-wing parties is also a consequence of the trend towards less extreme "hate" language and more sophisticated and "moderate" manifestations of far-right messages which appeal to a wider group of voters, resulting in their having a bigger impact on mainstream society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- Despite the countless examples of hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media today, there are also many measures and initiatives involving and implemented by the media to contest hateful speech and incitement to hatred, and counter its pernicious effects.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Human rights education as well as education for respect of diversity is of paramount importance to fostering a tolerant society, but is not sufficient: it must be complemented by education on the responsible use of the Internet and social media by citizens, particularly children and young people, so as to counter hate speech exposure and minimize other risks, such as cyberbullying. Several relevant initiatives to promote media literacy are led by States, international organizations and civil society, such as those presented below.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- In 2012, the Council of Europe launched the "No hate speech movement", a campaign directed towards youth with the objective of combating online hate speech in all its forms. The campaign is part of the project "Young People Combating Hate Speech Online, 2012-2014", which aims to equip young people with competences to recognize and act against hate speech, racism and discrimination in their online expression.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, established in 2005, is a United Nations entity tasked to assist in diminishing hostility and promoting harmony among nations in order to prevent conflict and promote social cohesion. The Alliance has engaged in media and information literacy initiatives to teach media consumers how to critically interpret information received. Those initiatives include a media and information literacy clearing house (milunesco.unaoc.org), the creation of a global network of universities, and the coordination of workshops for educators and publications.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- In April 2014, Rwanda Media High Council, in partnership with the African Media Initiative and the Ethical Journalism Network, launched the campaign "Turning the Page of Hate Media in Africa", coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the genocide. The campaign aims to promote ethical, tolerant and inclusive journalism, good media governance and responsible communications through the open information landscape, and includes a guideline document to test for hate speech in journalism practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Dedicated institutional attention to minority issues, including monitoring and responding to hatred targeted against minorities, is essential to prevent atrocities and reinforce unity and stability. This is even more important following violence or conflict, as part of transitional justice and reconciliation processes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- During the disputed presidential elections in Kenya in 2007, violence, triggered by hate speech and incitement to hatred by political and religious leaders in the media, left more than 1,000 people dead and half a million displaced. As a result, Kenya established the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, tasked to promote ethnic harmony and investigate complaints of ethnic or racial discrimination or any issue affecting ethnic and racial relations. The Commission has been tackling hate speech through action, including the development of guidelines for media outlets, training manuals for law enforcement officers, workshops and conferences.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Media outlets can actively engage in fighting incitement to hatred and violence in the media by adopting principles and guidelines of ethical and responsible journalism to improve the quality of information and reporting to avoid bias, prejudice and manipulation, as well as by promoting diversity among media workers and investing in adequate training for media professionals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- In April 2014, the International Federation of Journalists adopted the "Brussels Declaration" to combat incitement to hate and violence through media. The Declaration made recommendations to journalists and their unions aimed at upholding the principles and ethics of responsible journalism, including denouncing incitement to hatred whenever identified, ensuring knowledge of codes and guidelines by media workers, promoting education and training of journalists as well as encouraging diversity in media outlets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- Ethics codes play an important role in guiding press workers on how to report objectively and responsibly. The Press Ethics Code of Benin emphasizes that "Journalists must refuse to publish any incitement to tribal, racial and religious hatred. They must make a stand against all forms of discrimination" (art. 10). Singapore's Internet Code of Practice considers as prohibited material that "glorifies, incites or endorses ethnic, racial or religious hatred, strife or intolerance" (art. 4 (2)(g)).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Independent regulatory bodies, such as media watchdogs, councils and ombudsmen, monitor media reporting, identify and report on hateful content and reinforce ethical standards. However, regulatory media bodies must not unduly censor media sources and must comply with international standards. The Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina monitors the application of the Press Code and the investigation of complaints. In 2014, in the context of the general elections campaign, it launched the campaign "STOP! Hate Speech!".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Several self-regulatory media bodies have started to operate in Africa, some of them in countries with a history of hate speech and incitement to violence against minority groups. The Rwanda Media Commission was established in 2013 with the mandate to promote ethical journalism, defend media freedom and adjudicate complaints against the media; some commentators have alleged censorship and serious restrictions on media freedoms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Media self-regulatory bodies in the Americas include the Ethics Committee of the Journalism National Council in Panama. The Committee brings together journalists, media owners, civil society, academics and the Office of the Ombudsman and receives and responds to complaints about journalism practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Participation of minorities in the media landscape encompasses the possibility for minority professionals to work in media outlets. Some media outlets have developed specific programmes and internships to recruit and train minority media workers in order to promote ethnic diversity in the newsrooms and press offices.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations have developed innovative approaches and actions to combat hate in the media, including the Internet. Those actions include identifying hate trends, tracking and monitoring hate speech websites, notifying potentially affected or targeted communities about hate activities, working closely with Internet providers and governmental agencies to report hateful content and providing online educational materials and training programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Studio Ijambo was launched in 1995 by the organization Search for Common Ground to address inter-ethnic violence in Burundi. The programme aimed to establish a platform to promote dialogue and tolerance through radio, in contrast to hate speech and incitement in radio programmes in neighbouring Rwanda. The station uses different formats, including debates and discussion programmes, soap operas, sketches and interactions between political leaders and youth, for example. Twenty years on, the model is considered a success and has been replicated in other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where radio has been used to promote constructive messages about conflict resolution.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- The Umati project in Kenya emerged out of concern that mobile and digital technologies had played a catalyzing role in the 2007-2008 post-election violence in the country. The project seeks to better understand the use of dangerous speech in Kenyan online space, by monitoring blogs, forums, online newspapers, Facebook and Twitter. From October 2012 to November 2013, over 7,000 incidents of hate speech in English and local languages were identified. They were shared with other Kenyan organizations responsible for countering hate speech.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- The Panzagar Movement ("flower speech campaign") in Myanmar was initiated in April 2014 by a Burmese blogger and human rights activist concerned by hate speech against Muslim citizens in social media. The Movement was launched under the slogan "Let's moderate our speech to prevent hatred among human beings" and is actively engaged in social networks.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- Norikoe Net is a Japan-based group working to overcome hate speech and racism, often targeted against Koreans, in Japan. The group joined forces with others to collectively counter racism and hate speech by organizing anti-hate speech events and protests and pushing for the enactment of anti-discrimination legislation in Japan.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Some initiatives seek to involve ISPs in combating online hate speech, by advocating the implementation of reporting mechanisms for illegal material posted on their services, identifying hateful content that violates the terms of service or code of conduct of the ISPs and requesting the ISPs concerned to remove it. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been actively involved in combating online hate speech through close collaboration with ISPs as well as law enforcement agencies, and providing training resources and educational materials on hate crimes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations have formed networks to combat cyberhate, lobby for international legislation against discrimination on the Internet and exchange information and best practices. The International Network Against CyberHate (INACH) comprises 15 organizations from different countries with the purpose of uniting and empowering organizations to promote respect, responsibility and citizenship on the Internet through countering cyberhate and raising awareness about online 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- Hatred is often constructed, fuelled, maintained and directed by certain individuals or groups against other individuals and communities who are different in ethnicity, language or religion from the dominant majority, often for political reasons or owing to long-standing and entrenched discrimination. Hateful messages may fall on particularly fertile ground where there are wider social, economic or political problems or divisions in society. The root causes of hatred often lie beyond purely ethnic or religious difference and must be better understood.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- It is essential to recognize how, in the longer term, hate speech and incitement can endanger social cohesion and create or deepen intercommunal divides and tensions. Action to address hate speech and hate crime must engage majority communities, including politicians, intellectuals, celebrities and ordinary people concerned about discrimination and hatred in their societies, to join marginalized and disadvantaged minorities in demanding human rights, equality and human dignity for all. Such coordinated action must include legislative steps and swift and efficient social responses. If hate incidents are not tackled quickly and effectively, targeted groups may experience permanent damage to their self-esteem and sense of belonging within their societies, increasing their marginalization. Majority communities may gradually become desensitized to the hostility in their societies targeted against minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 103
- Paragraph text
- Traditional and contemporary media have enormous potential to foster knowledge, understanding and acceptance of diversity. Media can also be misused as a forum for stigmatization, discrimination, exclusion and, in the worst cases, incitement of violence. Contemporary media, particularly new digital media, due to its immediacy, universal scope, accessibility, interactive nature and the difficulty of regulating it, have become accessible platforms for spreading hate speech.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- Several factors influence the extent and prevalence of hate speech in the media, including the absence of or unclear legislation on incitement to hatred, negative and stereotyped portrayal of minorities, limited access and representation of minorities in the media, structural inequalities, the changing media landscape and the emerging and more organized forms of extremist and populists movements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 105
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur urges States to adopt domestic legislation, in conformity with article 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, prohibiting any "advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence".
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 106
- Paragraph text
- Legislation must fully respect the right to freedom of speech and expression and avoid any arbitrary or abusive interpretation of anti-hate speech laws. States should establish proportionate thresholds for the assessment of forms of expression which may amount to incitement to hatred, including careful consideration, on a case-by-case basis, of the context, speaker, intent, content, extent or magnitude and likelihood or probability of harm occurring. Legislation prohibiting incitement to hatred should provide effective and adequate remedies to victims, including civil remedies for damages, and guarantee the right of correction and reply.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 107
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur calls upon all States to adopt the Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence when implementing or revising their domestic legal framework on hate speech.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 108
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur emphasizes that there are several non-legal ways and means to tackle hate speech. Public condemnation of hate speech by political leaders, parliamentarians, party members, other public figures and community leaders can shape public perceptions and contribute to unity and social cohesion. Democratic political parties need to find effective tools and outreach strategies to counterbalance hate messages spread by extremist forces and parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 109
- Paragraph text
- The establishment of institutions dedicated to minority issues, with mandates to train, monitor and act on issues relevant to intercommunal relations and harmony, objective portrayal of and peace between diverse population groups, especially regarding relevant threats, such as incitement to religious or racial hatred, is desirable.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 110
- Paragraph text
- Media outlets should maintain the highest standards of ethical journalism, avoid stereotyping of individuals and groups and report in a factual and impartial manner. Media outlets should adopt codes of ethics and conduct for the exercise and promotion of ethical standards. The participation of minority professionals in media outlets in all roles and levels is essential to ensuring objective and non-stereotypical portrayal of minorities. Media outlets should implement programmes to train, recruit and support media workers belonging to minority groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 111
- Paragraph text
- Specific training in minority issues should be provided to media professionals by media outlets to help journalists improve coverage and produce accurate, in-depth and informed reporting on minority-related issues.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 112
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur encourages the establishment of national, independent regulatory bodies, including representatives of minorities, with powers to monitor hate speech in the media, receive reports from the public in relation to hate speech, receive and support complaints, and make 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
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 113
- Paragraph text
- While recognizing the technical and operational difficulties in combating online hate speech, the Special Rapporteur encourages States to take specific measures, including specialized training of law enforcement bodies and prosecutors, to address hate crimes and incitement to hatred on the Internet, and to exchange information and best practices at the international level.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 114
- Paragraph text
- Internet service providers (ISPs) should establish detailed terms of service, guidelines and notice-and-takedown procedures regarding hate speech and incitement, in line with national legislation and international standards, and ensure transparent implementation of those polices. The Special Rapporteur encourages ISPs to collaborate with government and civil society organizations to combat hate speech, including providing adequate channels for the reporting of illegal hateful content posted on their services.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 115
- Paragraph text
- Education to promote intercultural understanding, mutual respect and tolerance among population groups is essential to eliminating stereotypes and prejudices against minority communities. Human rights education should be an important part of school curricula, which should also include the history, culture and traditions of minority groups as well as their important contribution to enriching our societies.
- 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
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 116
- Paragraph text
- Media literacy is essential to providing youth and adults with adequate tools and resources to develop critical thinking in order to question the accuracy, bias and impact of the information provided by the media. The Special Rapporteur recommends that States include key functions of media literacy in school curricula at all stages with special focus on the online environment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 117
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur welcomes the commendable work of civil society in conducting public-awareness campaigns to combat hate speech, including on the Internet. She encourages States to work collaboratively with and support those organizations and projects, including providing financial support.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech, social media and minorities
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2021
- Document code
- A/HRC/46/57
Document
Mainstreaming minority rights at the UN and elsewhere: An Assessment of the 2013 UN Secretary General's Guidance Note and 30 years of the UN Declaration
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2023
- Document code
- A/HRC/52/27
Document
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
- Document code
- A/HRC/31/56
Document
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is concerned by information she has received regarding incidents of discrimination in caste-based and analogous systems of inherited status, including atrocities committed against individuals ascribed to the lowest strata by virtue of their caste status. During the course of her work, she regularly addressed the continued plight of such people through press statements, consultations, side events and thematic reports to the Human Rights Council.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur recognizes the complexity of addressing this topic within the minority rights framework, as there exists the view that caste systems are a way to organize society without the domination of majority groups, and that therefore, "lower caste" groups may not strictly fall under the category of minority groups. However, she believes that, while many caste-affected groups may belong to the same larger ethnic, religious or linguistic community, they often share minority-like characteristics, particularly their non dominant and often marginalized position, stigma, and the historic use of the minority rights framework to claim their rights. She further acknowledges that caste and caste-like systems are present in other groups, including some indigenous communities. Moreover, she highlights that minority groups who are characterized by their non-dominant position and whose members possess ethnic, religious or linguistic characteristics differing from those of the rest of the population are also, in many cases, caste-affected groups, and therefore face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination on the grounds of both their minority status and descent. Consequently, she believes that a minority rights approach can provide a valuable platform for the protection of the rights of caste-affected communities and that minority rights standards, including equality, non-discrimination, consultation, participation and special measures, should be applied to combat discrimination based on caste and analogous systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur stresses that discrimination based on caste and analogous systems exists in many countries. While acknowledging important differences between affected communities in terms of the manifestation, severity and experience of caste-based discrimination, she firmly believes that there are common characteristics to caste and caste-like systems that inherently contradict the principles of human dignity, equality and non-discrimination, particularly differentiated social status, whereby individuals placed in the lowest positions are regarded as "inferior" and "non human". The resulting extreme exclusion and dehumanization of caste-affected groups translates into individuals and communities often being deprived of or severely restricted from enjoying their most basic civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Following an analysis of the information received, she further considers that caste and analogous forms of discrimination are a major cause of poverty and perpetuate poverty in affected communities. As stressed previously, the relationship between inequality, discrimination and poverty and their impact on disadvantaged minority groups cannot be ignored or underestimated. Targeted attention to the situation of the poorest and most socially and economically excluded and marginalized communities is essential to break the vicious cycle of discrimination, exclusion, poverty and underdevelopment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Research on caste-based discrimination outside the South Asian context is underdeveloped and the lack of official, up-to-date and disaggregated data poses additional difficulties in terms of providing a comprehensive overview of the issue. Nevertheless, the Special Rapporteur considers that devoting a thematic report to this particular topic is necessary, given that discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status constitutes a serious violation of human rights and deserves specific attention. She hopes that the present report will serve as an incentive to stimulate further and more in depth research and investigation into caste-based discrimination around the globe.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status refers to a form of discrimination based on descent. Because one's caste can be determinative of one's occupation, it is also referred to as "discrimination based on work and descent" and defined as "any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on inherited status such as caste, including present or ancestral occupation, family, community or social origin, name, birthplace, place of residence, dialect and accent that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field 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
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The term "caste" refers to a strict hierarchical social system that is often based on the notions of purity and pollution, in which individuals placed at the bottom of the system may face exclusion and discrimination in a wide range of areas. The concept of "caste system" is primarily associated with the South Asian region, where its existence is linked to the religiously sanctioned social structure of Hinduism, which identified four original and endogamous groups, or castes, called varnas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- At present, the term "caste" has broadened in meaning, transcending religious affiliation. Caste and caste-like systems may be based on either a religious or a secular background and can be found within diverse religious and/or ethnic groups in all geographical regions, including within diaspora communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 28a
- Paragraph text
- [Caste and analogous systems present distinguishing characteristics:] (a) Hereditary nature: caste status is inherited by birth and follows the individual until death;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 28b
- Paragraph text
- [Caste and analogous systems present distinguishing characteristics:] (b) Labour stratification and occupational segregation: caste status determines and is confined to certain occupations, which are compulsory and endogenous. Individuals from lower-caste strata are traditionally assigned to tasks deemed "polluting" or menial by higher caste groups, including sweeping, manual scavenging (cleaning of excreta from dry latrines) and disposal of dead animals;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 28c
- Paragraph text
- [Caste and analogous systems present distinguishing characteristics:] (c) Untouchability practices: a set of collective behaviours and norms stemming from the belief that contact with individuals from lower castes is "polluting";
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 28d
- Paragraph text
- [Caste and analogous systems present distinguishing characteristics:] (d) Enforced endogamy: inter-caste interactions are limited and in some cases de facto prohibited. Manifestations of enforced endogamy include limitations or prohibitions on inter-caste marriages, commensality (the practice of eating together) and sharing common goods or services. Attempts to challenge these prohibitions are often severely punished through violence against caste-affected individuals and retaliation against their communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Existing pervasive and entrenched stigma of individuals and groups ascribed to "lower caste" strata permeates caste systems. As highlighted by the former Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, stigma can be understood as "a process of dehumanizing, degrading, discrediting and devaluing people in certain population groups, often based on a feeling of disgust". The process of "dehumanization" of individuals and groups owing to their low caste status begins with the association between such status and the notions of "pollution", "filthiness" and "untouchability", resulting in them being considered "impure" and "unworthy". This process evolves into widespread social segregation of affected individuals and communities who are confined to separate physical spaces and, as mentioned above, to certain degrading jobs from which they cannot break free. This imposed marginalization becomes an externalized and internalized social norm that eventually legitimatizes mistreatment and abuses against affected communities, perpetuating discrimination and patterns of human rights violations against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Stigmatization and dehumanization of affected communities is further reinforced by negative stereotypes in the media and, as the Special Rapporteur has noted previously, the repeated presentation of broad negative stereotypes of minority groups as, inter alia, "dirty", which nurtures inaccurate and false assumptions and opinions that may eventually develop into discriminatory attitudes and entrenched prejudices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Estimates indicate that over 250 million people suffer from caste-based discrimination worldwide. Though the highest numbers of affected communities are concentrated in South Asia, particularly India and Nepal, discrimination on the grounds of caste or analogous status is a global phenomenon and can be found in other geographical contexts, including in Africa, the Middle East and the Pacific region, as well as in diaspora communities. Although the following examples are not exhaustive, they aim to be illustrative of caste-affected communities in different regions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Dalits constitute the largest caste-affected group in South Asia. They comprise a myriad of sub-caste groups and, although subjected to similar forms of discrimination across the region, the situation of Dalits in caste-affected countries differs for historical and political reasons. Dalits represent the victims of the most grave forms of caste discrimination, are often assigned the most degrading jobs and subjected to forced and bonded labour, have limited or unequal access to resources (including economic resources, land and water) and services, and are disproportionately affected by poverty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- In India, according to official data, Dalits (referred to as "scheduled castes") constitute more than 201 million people. This figure does not include Dalits who have converted or are born and raised within non-Hindu religious communities, such as the Dalit Muslim and Christian communities; unofficial statistics estimate that the actual number of Dalits in India is much higher.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- In Nepal, official data indicate that the Dalit population comprises approximately 3.6 million people, although civil society organizations estimate that number at 5 million. In Bangladesh and Pakistan, where most Dalits belong to the Hindu minority, the figures are also contested. In Bangladesh, unofficial data estimate the Dalit population to range between 3.5 and 5.5 million people. In Pakistan, the most recent official data, from 1998, estimate the Dalit population to be 330,000, but researchers calculate that the actual number could be at least two million.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- In Sri Lanka, three parallel caste systems (Sinhala, Sri Lanka Tamil and Indian Tamil groups) coexist; caste discrimination is found in each one. Within the Sinhala system, lower caste groups, including the Rodi, have low levels of education, suffer extreme poverty and lack of assets and are under continued pressure to pursue hereditary caste occupations, such as removing dead animals and dirt. In the Sri Lanka Tamil caste system, the bottom stratum is comprised of a myriad of groups collectively labelled as Panchamar and regarded as "untouchables". Population displacement due to war and the 2004 tsunami has resulted in a large internal displaced population in the Jaffna peninsula, with a disproportionate presence of Panchamar groups now in camps for internally displaced persons. The caste system among Indian Tamils traces its origins to their arrival to the plantations as indentured labourers during the colonial era and presents unique characteristics, which differ from the traditional Indian caste system. Some features are common, however, including the avoidance of inter-caste marriage and the link between lower castes and greater levels of poverty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- In Japan, feudal society stratification during the Tokunaga regime (1603-1867) placed two groups at the bottom of the system, referring to them as the senmin (humble people): the eta (extreme filth) and hinin (non-human). Although the Emancipation Edict was promulgated in 1871 to include the senmin in mainstream society, the Burakumin, as their descendants are now known, continue to be considered as an outcast group, subjected to prejudice and discrimination, including in employment, education and marriage, and physically segregated in Buraku districts. Official figures estimate the total Buraku population to be 1.2 million; however, unofficial figures place the number at almost 3 million.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- In Yemen, the Muhamasheen ("marginalized ones"), also known as Al Akhdam, constitute a minority group subjected to descent-based discrimination. There are no official data, but unofficial sources estimate their number at between 500,000 and 3.5 million. Their occupational roles include garbage collection, street sweeping and cleaning toilets and drains. They suffer from social stigma and discrimination, which exacerbate their socioeconomic exclusion and poverty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- According to the former Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, there are three types of descent-based discrimination in Africa, including caste systems based on "occupational specialization of endogamous groups in which membership is based on ascription and between which social distance is regulated by the concept of pollution" and those in which discrimination is based "on real or perceived descent from slaves, leaving many in 'virtual' slavery, unable to leave their owner's employ for fear of reprisals or starvation".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In Mauritania, the two major cultural and ethnolinguistic groups, the Arab-Berber (commonly referred to as Moors), which includes the Beidane and the Haratines (also known as black moors) and some of the Afro-Mauritanian communities (including the Peuhl, Soninke, Wolof and Bambara), present divisions along ethnic and caste lines. The Moors are further divided into tribes and castes by profession, including blacksmiths, religious leaders and warriors. Relations among the different castes are very hierarchical and result in the exclusion and marginalization of certain castes, such as blacksmiths. The Haratine constitute the largest ethnic group (40 to 60 per cent of the population) but remain economically and politically marginalized. Regarded as the "slave caste", most of the present-day victims of slavery and slavery-like practices are Haratine.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- In Madagascar, there are 18 main tribes, some of which have their own caste systems, such as the Merina and the Bara. Within the Merina hierarchy, there are four main castes: the Andriana, the Hova, the Mainty and the Andevo. The Andevo (descendants of slaves) face caste discrimination, especially in marriage, and are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, poverty and slavery-like practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- In Nigeria, discrimination against Osu descendants persists. Osu people were historically considered a property of the local deities among communities in Igboland, in south-east Nigeria. The Osu were dedicated and "sacrificed" to these gods and forced to live on the outskirts of the villages. In 1958, the Osu Abolition Law was passed, but members of the Osu are still subjected to social exclusion, segregation and mistreatment, and discrimination in employment and marriage.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- In Senegal, caste systems exist within several ethnic groups, particularly among the Wolof community, which is divided between the Geer and the Neeno. Some forms of untouchability are allegedly practised against some Neeno groups, including prohibition from residing or remaining in particular places and avoidance of physical contact.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- In Somalia, clan structure determines the composition of society, which is divided into ranked clan groups. Somalia's minorities are diverse and comprise three distinct social groups: Bantu, Benadiri and the "occupational groups". The "occupational groups", also referred to as "sab" (a collective term for "low-caste"), include the Midgan (also known as Gaboye, Madguban and Musse Deriyo), Tumal and Yibro. These groups are stigmatized as being of "unholy origin" and dedicated to "polluting" occupations. Discrimination against them includes being targeted for hate speech and prohibition of intermarriage.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Caste-affected groups have also been identified in other countries, such as Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali and Sierra Leone.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The caste system migrated with the South Asian diaspora to other regions, including Africa (Mauritius, South Africa), Europe (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), the Americas (United States of America, Canada and Suriname), the Middle East (Bahrain, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates), Malaysia, Australia and the Pacific (Fiji).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights establishes that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The principle of inherent dignity of all persons permeates the entire Declaration; the preamble refers to this principle, together with the equality of human rights, as the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities requires States to take measures 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" (art. 4 (1)).
- 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
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Core international human rights treaties build upon the principle of the inherent dignity and equality of all persons, which is recalled in their respective preambles, and enshrine the rights to equality and non-discrimination of all persons, as well as the equal enjoyment of human rights for men and women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- In its general recommendation No. 29 (2002), on article 1, paragraph 1, of the Convention (Descent), the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination confirmed that the term "descent" did not solely refer to "race" and unequivocally established that descent based discrimination "includes discrimination against members of communities based on forms of social stratification such as caste and analogous systems of inherited status which nullify or impair their equal enjoyment of human rights".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Committee identified several factors that could indicate the existence of discrimination on the basis of caste and analogous systems of inherited status in affected communities, including "inability or restricted ability to alter inherited status; socially enforced restrictions on marriage outside the community; private and public segregation, including in housing and education, access to public spaces, places of worship and public sources of food and water; limitation of freedom to renounce inherited occupations or degrading or hazardous work; subjection to debt bondage; subjection to dehumanizing discourses referring to pollution or untouchability; and generalized lack of respect for their human dignity and equality". It also made specific recommendations, including in the areas of preventing hate speech in the media, administration of justice, political participation and the right to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
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Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, in its resolution 2000/4, established that discrimination based on work and descent was a form of discrimination prohibited by international human rights law, and requested Governments concerned to put in place all necessary constitutional, legislative and administrative measures, including affirmative action, to prohibit and redress that form of discrimination, as well as to criminally sanction all persons or entities within their jurisdictions who might have engaged in practices of discrimination on the basis of work and descent.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The draft United Nations principles and guidelines for the effective elimination of discrimination based on work and descent constitute a comprehensive framework to assist multiple stakeholders, including States, United Nations agencies and civil society organizations, in identifying caste-based discrimination and in implementing measures to combat such discrimination. The draft principles and guidelines formulate specific recommendations to States to develop and implement a legal framework explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on work and descent and establish plans of action to enforce the abolition of untouchability and segregation at the national and local levels. They also recommend that States conduct surveys and research on affected communities, and combat discrimination based on work and descent in multiple areas, including physical security, protection against violence, access to justice, equal political participation, employment, health, food, water, housing and education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- At the regional level, in 2013 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on caste based discrimination, in which it called for the European Union to promote the draft United Nations principles and guidelines as a guiding framework for eliminating caste based discrimination and to promote their endorsement by the Human Rights Council. It also called on the European Commission to recognize caste-based discrimination as a "distinct form of discrimination rooted in the social and/or religious context" which must be addressed together with other grounds of discrimination, including ethnicity, race, descent, religion, gender and sexuality, and appealed for the inclusion of caste-based discrimination as a human rights issue in future European Union human rights policies, strategies and action plans.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Other relevant international standards are the International Labour Organization Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), along with its accompanying Recommendation No. 111, and the Principles and Guidelines to Address Caste Discrimination in the Private Sector (Ambedkar Principles) of the International Dalit Solidarity Network.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has identified a number of areas of particular concern in relation to caste and analogous systems. The areas described below are not exhaustive but rather provide a general overview of the most serious manifestations of caste-based discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur regrets the scarcity of relevant information outside the South Asian context and stresses the need for further research.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The use of violence against individuals and communities at the lower end of caste and caste-like systems to maintain the system and perpetuate oppression is common. Attempts to alter the social order by questioning and actively defying caste rules may result in harassment, threats, physical attacks and even murder.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Often, claiming human rights is considered as "forbidden", and deserving of punishment. Inter-caste and inter-group marriages; demands for land rights, increased wages and political participation; and refusal to perform traditional occupations, may trigger not only economic retaliation by those most threatened by changes in the status quo, but also unleash violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- In South Asia, violence against Dalits is reported to be widespread and driven by the effects of the caste system and the lack of justice for victims. Although official data are scarce, information from some States indicates that the number of reported crimes against Dalits is rising. For instance, data from the National Crime Records Bureau in India reveal that reported crimes against individuals from scheduled castes increased 19 per cent in 2014 from the previous year. In Nepal, Amnesty International reported that in 2014 victims of discrimination on the grounds of caste were subject to torture and other ill treatment, including sexual violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Entrenched caste discrimination within the criminal justice system translates into victims facing multiple obstacles at every stage of the legal process: from lodging a complaint to investigation, trial and judgement. Often, the fear of reprisal prevents victims from reporting attacks, resulting in underreporting and impunity. In South Asia, most violence against Dalits and Dalit communities is underreported and not addressed by Governments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Due to caste prejudice or deference shown to perpetrators from higher castes, law enforcement officers may refuse to register and/or investigate cases brought by individuals from lower castes. In some instances, these officers perceive caste-based discrimination as a social issue to be solved within the community rather than a crime. Refusal to register such cases as criminal offences is justified as preserving "social harmony".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- According to a recent study, the ways in which police refuse to register caste-based atrocities include: (a) showing apathy; (b) discouraging victims and encouraging compromises between the victims and the accused; (c) delaying arrival; (d) threatening or inflicting violence on victims; (e) bringing false cases against victims at the behest of the accused to pressure them to accept a compromise; (f) accepting bribes from the accused to drop the victim's case; and (g) declaring the accused innocent without following due process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Even if such crimes pass the first stage in the process, there are long pretrial periods and the acquittal rates for these crimes are extremely high. Lower castes are also disproportionately represented in pretrial detention, owing to indiscriminate arrests, slow investigations and prosecutions, weak legal aid systems and inadequate safeguards against lengthy detention periods.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Political marginalization emerges as a consequence of discrimination against caste affected communities, who are excluded from or underrepresented in both local and national decision-making. Individuals from lower-caste groups may face numerous obstacles to participation in public elections and equal opportunities to run for and be elected to public positions. These include being subject to threats, harassment and physical attacks; being forcibly prevented from standing in elections or, if elected, forced to resign or not to exercise their mandate; being excluded from electoral rolls; and being denied the right to vote.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Caste-affected groups tend to be outvoted and unable to secure proportional representation. For instance, in Mauritania, where the Haratine comprise 40 to 60 per cent of the population, according to statistics collected by the Initiative pour la Résurgence du Mouvement Abolitionniste Mauritanie, only 11 of 147 members of Parliament are Haratine. In Yemen, the Muhamasheen have no political representation at the national level.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Some caste-affected countries, including India and Nepal, have constitutional and legal requirements to reserve seats for disadvantaged caste groups in legislative bodies. In Pakistan, seats are reserved for non-Muslim minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Caste discrimination exerts a strong influence in the religious sphere. Individuals from the lowest castes may be barred from religious sites, relegated to separate religious buildings or separate spaces and buried in separate cemeteries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Caste-based discrimination on the grounds of religion has a particular impact on women and girls. The existence of practices labelled as "religious dedication" of girls to temple deities, including the Devadasi system, constitutes a de facto form of forced prostitution and sexual slavery, mainly targeting Dalit girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Minority women, many of them from low-caste backgrounds, may be subjected to kidnapping and forced religious conversion. According to the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of religion or belief, "such incidents seem to occur in a climate of impunity". Civil society organizations have reported several cases of Dalit Hindu girls being kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam following marriage in Pakistan.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Allocation of labour on the basis of caste is one of the core pillars of caste and caste like systems, with lower castes typically confined to "polluting", "filthy" or "impure" tasks and occupations. This labour division is characterized by its extreme rigidity and exclusion, preventing individuals from the lowest strata from changing occupations and largely hindering their labour mobility. Attempts to challenge the established order may result in social punishment, including physical and psychological aggression and community boycotts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Caste-based discrimination confines Dalits in South Asia to certain occupations associated with their caste, which often involve the most menial tasks, such as sanitation jobs. In Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, street cleaning and the handling of human waste and animal carcasses are almost exclusively performed by Dalits.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- In India, manual scavenging constitutes a caste-designated occupation that is mainly imposed upon Dalits, particularly Dalit women, who represent 95 per cent of manual scavengers. Despite the passing of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act in 2013, the practice reportedly persists, institutionalized through State practice, with local governments and municipalities employing manual scavengers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- This rigid and stratified allocation of work results in Dalits having not only limited job opportunities, but also lower wages, particularly in rural areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- In Japan, the Buraku face job discrimination. Hiring detectives to investigate the background of job applicants is reported to be common. Research highlights that, if investigations result in the person being considered as Buraku in origin, the individual is likely not to be further considered in the selection process. Despite the amendments to the Basic Resident Registration Act and to the Family Registration Law to restrict access to the family registry (Koseki), professionals who have access, including public notaries, lawyers and judicial scriveners, are allegedly often paid to obtain such information.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination based on caste increases the vulnerability of affected groups to contemporary forms of slavery. Research indicates that forced and bonded labour is widespread within caste-affected communities, despite legal bans. In South Asia, Dalits comprise the majority of people subjected to domestic bonded labour, and a large number of victims of trafficking in persons, sexual slavery and other forms of labour exploitation are members of low castes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- In Nepal, in the agricultural sector, Haliyas ("ones who plough") are labourers effectively caught in a debt bondage system. They plough the land, a task considered dirty. They are often forced to take out loans from landowners to cover personal expenses and are charged exorbitant rates of interest, making their debts extremely difficult to pay back and effectively trapping them in a never-ending cycle of submission. According to civil society reports, despite criminalization by the Government in 2010, the practice still persists and there is currently no legislation in place for the rehabilitation of Haliyas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- In Pakistan, Dalits, who are mainly minority Hindus, are disproportionately affected by forced and bonded labour, particularly in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- In Mauritania, the Haratine are the ethnic group most associated with slavery, suffering from discrimination, marginalization and exclusion as the "slave caste", although slavery is also reported to affect black African communities there. Despite slavery being formally abolished and a recent anti-slavery bill passed in August 2015, the practice reportedly remains widespread, affecting predominantly the Haratine. According to some estimates, 50 per cent of the Haratine community is subjected to de facto slavery through domestic servitude and bonded or forced labour; 90 per cent of those affected are women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Reports indicate that caste-affected communities face discrimination in accessing adequate housing and housing segregation. They may be forced to live on the outskirts of towns, or in segregated colonies or informal settlements, and may also be subject to forced evictions and displacement.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- As highlighted by the Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, stigma associated with caste manifests, inter alia, in lack of access to drinking water and sanitation facilities and in restricted access to shared or common water and sanitation facilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- In Yemen, the Muhamasheen mainly reside in underdeveloped neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the capital. More than half of their households rely on external water sources such as dams, streams or wells; only two out of five households have latrines.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- In Bangladesh and India, Dalits are often systematically excluded from access to water and sanitation. Reports indicate that Dalits may be prohibited from fetching water; have to wait in different queues when accessing wells; and, in the event of water shortage, must give non-Dalits priority. Dalits may be subjected to large-scale violence and physical attacks by members of the dominant caste when attempting to access facilities in areas inhabited by them. Dalit women are particularly vulnerable to physical violence from members of the dominant castes while collecting water from public wells and taps.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Studies in South Asia demonstrate patterns of discriminatory behaviour against individuals from lower castes, particularly in health care, including denial of or restrictions on services, lack of treatment and longer waiting periods. Health-care providers spend less time with them, and staff use derogatory or demeaning words and avoid physical contact when examining them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Caste-based discrimination has a direct impact on the health status of affected individuals. Statistics reveal significant disparities in health indicators, with individuals in lower castes presenting poorer health indicators than those in higher castes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Women in lower castes present the worst health outcomes. For instance, a study in India demonstrated stark disparities between Dalit and non-Dalit women in terms of life expectancy and access to prenatal and postnatal care.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- In 2009, a survey by the Ministry of Health in Nepal found that the maternal mortality rates for Dalit women and women from the Therai and Madhesi castes were significantly higher than those for women from higher castes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Manual scavenging, the digging of graves, the cleaning of human excretions and forced prostitution also expose individuals in lower castes to a range of health hazards. Research further indicates that children in lower castes are at greater risk of infections and nutritional deficiencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Marginalization of caste-affected groups translates into considerable disparities in educational opportunities, educational attainment and treatment by school teachers. Such differences undermine equality of opportunity in employment and hinder social advancement. According to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, discrimination against Dalits at all levels of the educational system is widespread in caste affected countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- The types of structural discrimination and abuse faced by Dalit children in schools are particularly disturbing, as they are carried out by teachers and replicated by fellow students. They include segregation in classrooms, the use of derogatory terms for their caste, forcing them to perform manual work such as cleaning toilets and picking up garbage, and corporal punishment.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Caste-based discrimination in education results in higher rates of illiteracy, a larger number of dropouts from school, and a higher risk of children from lower castes being recruited as child labourers, soldiers or sex workers and subjected corporal punishment and torture.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- In Japan, the dropout rate for Buraku high school students is reported to be two to three times the national average. In addition, despite modest increases in college enrolment, the percentage of Buraku university students is still well below the national average. In Yemen, 80 per cent of the Muhamasheen are reported to be illiterate and suffer extreme poverty. In Mauritania, over 80 per cent of the Haratine do not complete primary school; they constitute only 5 per cent of students pursuing higher education. In Madagascar, most of the Andevo are reportedly illiterate. In Senegal, civil society reports state that children from lower castes were prevented from sitting with classmates from higher castes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Evidence indicates that communities in lower positions in caste and analogous systems are more vulnerable and more likely to be exposed to natural and human-made disasters and hazards than those from higher castes, for several reasons. For example, their marginalized socioeconomic status may translate into a lack of or limited access to amenities and information. The location and infrastructure of their homes, usually in remote and marginal lands such as floodplains, coastal towns and unstable hillsides, on the periphery of settlements and poorly equipped in terms of basic amenities such as drains, flood barriers and drinking water, may also increase their vulnerability to natural disasters.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Research has found that, when emergencies arise, such communities are often not only the most affected but are also less likely to receive humanitarian aid and rehabilitation. Analysis of emergency responses to natural disasters in South Asia, including in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and, most recently, Nepal, have demonstrated that Dalits suffer from acute caste discrimination throughout all the phases of disaster response, from rescue to rehabilitation. They are also the most affected by climate change due to their living in flood- and drought-prone areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- Reports indicate that discriminatory practices against Dalits in humanitarian response include priority given to dominant castes in rescue operations; denial of or unequal access to relief camps, food, water, health services, shelter, housing and education; segregation in camp facilities; prohibition of use of the common sanitation facilities; segregation in commensal groups; lack of compensation or restitution of assets due to lack of documentation to claim entitlements related to land and property; and lack of participation of affected communities in decision-making regarding reconstruction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Caste is one of the factors that result in multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination against certain groups of women. Women and girls from low castes are particularly vulnerable to violation and denial of their rights in both public and private life.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- They are often the victims of caste-based violence, particularly sexual violence. A study identified 12 major forms of violence against Dalit women: nine in the community (physical assault, verbal abuse, sexual harassment and assault, rape, sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, kidnapping or abduction, forced incarceration and medical negligence), and three within the family (female feticide and infanticide, child sexual abuse and domestic violence).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Available data indicate that caste-based violence against women and girls, in particular sexual violence, may be increasing. Violence and the threat of violence are frequently hidden and go unreported in villages and rural areas, forming a culture of invisibility, silence and impunity which, in many instances, places the burden of shame on victims instead of perpetrators.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- Women from disadvantaged caste groups are also the main victims of trafficking, and are especially vulnerable to early and/or forced marriage, bonded labour and harmful cultural practices. Accusations of witchcraft are sometimes made to deprive Dalit women of their basic economic and social rights, including access to land and their assets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Atrocities against women from marginalized castes are often committed when they try to assert their rights and challenge caste and gender norms. Perpetrators include dominant caste landlords, police officers, doctors and teachers, with the "punishment" both being expressive of caste outrage and intended to teach the woman and her community a lesson.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Dalit women face obstacles in accessing formal justice systems. These include the refusal by police officers to register criminal complaints or delays in filing complaints, lack of proper investigation into complaints of violence and ill-treatment, and insensitivity by law enforcement officials.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 101
- Paragraph text
- Women from caste-affected communities, particularly in rural areas, are often excluded from political processes and relegated to secondary or subordinate roles in decision-making. It is reported that rural Dalit women holding seats in the local panchayat (town assembly) have been forced to stay at home and be represented by their husbands at meetings. Those who have attempted to speak in the panchayat have been subjected to backlash, and even violence, against members of their caste.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- Outside South Asia, information on caste-affected women and girls is scarce. In Japan, a survey by the Buraku Liberation League revealed that Buraku women experienced discrimination in a wide range of areas, including marriage, employment and health care, and approximately 30 per cent had suffered from sexual violence. In Mauritania, Haratine women are reported to be at greater risk of violence, in both the public and private spheres, and to suffer from high levels of sexual violence, including rape and marital rape, domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 103
- Paragraph text
- Human rights violations against women and girls because of their caste status also include extremely disadvantaged social and economic conditions that have a direct impact on the enjoyment of their economic, social and cultural rights. Women and girls from lower castes have lower literacy levels and are more likely to be prevented from pursuing education. Many perform dangerous and unprotected work, including manual scavenging, and receive lower salaries. Many also have no or limited access to public services, including health care, as well as to government schemes and entitlements, and are de facto prohibited from owning land.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 104
- Paragraph text
- The issue of discrimination based on descent and, in particular, caste-based discrimination, has been gaining momentum in the United Nations system for the past two decades. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has been instrumental, as it first addressed discrimination based on caste and on similar forms of social hierarchy as a form of discrimination based on descent, as provided in article 1 (1) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and has also addressed the issue in its reviews of affected States. The adoption of general recommendation No. 29 (2002) consolidated the Committee's interpretation of article 1 (1) and formulated a global definition of caste-based discrimination: "discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 105
- Paragraph text
- The work of the former Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights has been of vital importance in the process of giving visibility to the issue of caste based discrimination. Following its resolution 2000/4, declaring that discrimination based on work and descent was a form of discrimination prohibited by international human rights law, the Sub-Commission appointed an expert to prepare a working paper on the topic to identify communities in which discrimination based on occupation and descent was ongoing, as well as to make concrete recommendations for the effective elimination of such discrimination. The outcome document (E/CN.4/Sub.2/2001/16) focused on countries in Asia only. Two Special Rapporteurs with the task of preparing a comprehensive study on discrimination based on work and descent were subsequently appointed, which led to the draft United Nations principles and guidelines for the effective elimination of discrimination based on work and descent, yet to be formally endorsed by the Human Rights Council.
- 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
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 106
- Paragraph text
- In 2013, the guidance note of the Secretary-General on racial discrimination and protection of minorities explicitly recommended that United Nations action and policies "reflect the fact that persons targeted for discrimination based on descent, in particular caste-based discrimination and related practices, are in a number of contexts in a particularly marginalized position and in need of focused attention".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 107
- Paragraph text
- In 2014, the United Nations network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities developed an action plan to support the implementation of those recommendations, including preparing "guidance for the United Nations system on key challenges, priorities and strategic approaches to combat discrimination based on work and descent". At the time of writing the present report, a guidance tool on descent-based discrimination, including key challenges and strategic approaches to combat caste-based and analogous forms of discrimination, was being finalized.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 108
- Paragraph text
- Special procedure mandate holders have also begun to address caste-based discrimination in their communications to States and in thematic and country visit reports.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 109
- Paragraph text
- Progressive and instrumental steps that can be taken by States to protect caste-affected communities include the following: identification of communities who suffer from discrimination on the basis of caste and analogous systems of inherited status; explicit recognition of caste-based discrimination as a human rights violation in national normative frameworks; ad hoc legislation to combat specific forms of discrimination on the grounds of caste and analogous systems; the establishment of special measures, including reservations, quotas and targeted schemes; and the effective implementation of legislation and special measures.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 110
- Paragraph text
- In South Asia, several constitutions explicitly refer to "caste" as one of the grounds for prohibited discrimination, including those of Bangladesh (art. 28), India (arts. 15 and 16), Nepal (art. 18), Pakistan (arts. 22, 26 and 27) and Sri Lanka (art. 12.2 and 12.3). Furthermore, the constitutions of India (art. 17) and Nepal (art. 24) explicitly outlaw "untouchability".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 111
- Paragraph text
- Outside South Asia, constitutional references to "caste" are limited. Examples include the constitutions of Burkina Faso (arts. 1 and 23) and Mauritius (art. 16.3). Some constitutions do not list "caste" as one of the prohibited grounds for discrimination, but provide specific references to discrimination based on analogous systems of inherited status. For example, in Japan constitutional provisions prohibit discrimination based on, inter alia, "race, social status or family origin" (art. 14). In the Constitution of Somalia, "clan" affiliation is one of the prohibited grounds for discrimination (art. 11).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 112
- Paragraph text
- Specific constitutional or legislative provisions establishing reservations or quota systems for caste-affected groups have been adopted in some countries. In India, the Constitution and its amendments permit special measures for the social and educational advancement of marginalized communities, including scheduled castes, and provide reservations of electoral seats in the Lower House and state legislatures for scheduled castes. The new Constitution of Nepal contains several provisions for safeguarding the rights of Dalits, including in employment, education and health care, and articulates a political system based on proportional representation for disadvantaged groups, including Dalits, minorities and women, at the local and national levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 113
- Paragraph text
- Specific legislation to combat caste-based discrimination in all its manifestations is instrumental to criminalize discriminatory practices, bring perpetrators to justice and provide redress to victims. Nevertheless, poor levels of both implementation of legislative measures and accountability, or a lack thereof, result in prevailing impunity and the perpetuation of caste based discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 114
- Paragraph text
- In South Asia, India and Nepal have enacted specific legislation to combat caste based discrimination. In India, two of the most recent laws are the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill (2015) and the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act (2013). Nepal enacted the Caste Based Discrimination and Untouchability (Offence and Punishment) Act in 2011, which criminalizes such discrimination in private and public spheres.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 115
- Paragraph text
- In Japan, the Law on Special Measures for Dowa Projects, enacted in 1969 and in force until 2002, was aimed at improving the living conditions in identified Buraku districts (Dowa districts) by improving access to welfare, employment and education, and providing redress in cases of discrimination against Buraku people.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 116
- Paragraph text
- In the United Kingdom, the passing of the 2010 Equality Act brought the caste discrimination issue into the public arena. Since its amendment in 2013, the Act now includes caste as an aspect of race, following advocacy from civil society organizations and the recommendation of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in its 2011 review of the State.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 117
- Paragraph text
- In its general recommendation No. 29 (2002), the Committee requested States to "establish statutory mechanisms, through the strengthening of existing institutions or the creation of specialized institutions, to promote respect for the equal human rights of members of descent-based communities".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 118
- Paragraph text
- In 2002, Nepal established a National Dalit Commission tasked with a twofold objective: to increase the participation of Dalit communities "in the mainstream of national development" and to create a favourable environment for Dalit communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Gender
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 119
- Paragraph text
- In 2004, India established the National Commission for Scheduled Castes as a separate body with a wide-range of functions, including monitoring implementation of legislation on scheduled castes, investigating complaints and reporting periodically on the status of implementation of legislation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 120
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations are instrumental in advancing the cause of caste-affected communities through advocacy at both the national and international levels, networking and implementation of specific programmes and campaigns to combat caste and caste-like discrimination. There are numerous good practice initiatives led by civil society actors to eradicate caste-based discrimination against Dalit communities in South Asia; however, similar initiatives to combat discrimination against other caste-affected groups in other regions are, with some exceptions, still emerging.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 121
- Paragraph text
- In Mauritania, the Initiative pour la résurgence du mouvement abolitionniste Mauritanie was established in 2008 by a prominent Haratine leader to advocate for the eradication of slavery and slavery-like practices, as well as to take specific cases before judicial courts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 122
- Paragraph text
- In Yemen, the All Youth Network for Community Development was set up by young people belonging to the Akhdam minority (Muhamasheen) to work at the local level to eliminate caste discrimination. Its programmes target education, political participation, human rights education and capacity-building.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 123
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination based on caste and analogous systems is a global phenomenon, affecting more than 250 million people worldwide. This serious human rights violation infringes upon the basic principles of universal human dignity and equality, as it differentiates between "inferior" and "superior" categories of individuals because of their inherited caste status. It also leads to extreme exclusion and dehumanization of caste-affected communities, who are often among the most disadvantaged populations, experience the worst socioeconomic conditions and are deprived of or severely restricted in the enjoyment of their civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 124
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination based on caste and analogous systems is deeply embedded in interpersonal and communal relationships in caste-affected countries. Therefore, overcoming it will require not only legal and political responses, but also community based approaches aimed at changing the mindsets of individuals and the collective conscience of local communities. In this regard, formal and informal community education and open dialogue from an early age are essential elements to ensure that the principles of human dignity and equality generally are accepted and respected.
- 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
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 125
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur acknowledges that further in-depth studies of caste-affected communities, particularly outside of South Asia, are needed in order to comprehensively assess the situation of and specific challenges facing such groups and implement adequate measures to combat caste-based discrimination that affects them. To that end, the collection of data disaggregated by, inter alia, caste, sex, ethnicity, religion and language is essential to adequately map affected groups in caste-affected countries. Data collection programmes should allow for diverse forms of self-identification and comply with international standards regarding the right to privacy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 126
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination on the basis of caste and analogous systems is a major cause of poverty, inequality and social exclusion of affected communities. In the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, States should consider including caste-specific indicators to ensure that the Sustainable Development Goals and their targets address the situation of affected groups.
- 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
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 127
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur believes that relevant elements and standards emanating from the minority rights framework, including equality, non discrimination, consultation, participation and special measures, can contribute to the protection of the rights of caste-affected communities and should be applied to combat discrimination based on caste and analogous systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 128
- Paragraph text
- States should adopt specific legislation prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of caste and/or analogous systems. Existing legal frameworks to combat caste discrimination must be adequately and fully implemented and include appropriate penalties for acts of caste-based discrimination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 129
- Paragraph text
- States should conduct awareness-raising campaigns at the national and local levels, targeting both affected communities and the wider public to sensitize them against caste discrimination and analogous forms of such discrimination. These campaigns should inform the public about the various manifestations, legal prohibitions and penalties associated with caste discrimination, and victims should be informed of their rights and available means of legal recourse to bring to light caste-based discriminatory practices and obtain redress.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 130
- Paragraph text
- Comprehensive national action plans and budgets to combat discrimination based on caste and analogous systems should be urgently developed and implemented in caste-affected countries. Plans should have clear objectives and measures in a wide range of areas, including poverty reduction strategies, employment, health, housing, education and access to basic services, including water and sanitation. They should include specific attention to the issues of caste-affected women, be developed in coordination with affected groups and local organizations working with them and be provided with sufficient funding. Their progress should be regularly monitored.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 131
- Paragraph text
- Special measures, including reservations, quota systems and/or schemes, should be put into place and enforced in specific areas, including employment, education, and public and political institutions, in order to guarantee the effective participation and representation of affected communities in public life.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 132
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to caste discrimination, as they suffer from multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination owing to both their gender and unprivileged caste status. They are disproportionately subjected to dire human rights violations, including violence and, particularly, sexual violence, trafficking, early and/or forced marriage and harmful traditional practices. They face obstacles in accessing justice and redress and are excluded or relegated to a secondary or subordinate role in decision-making processes. Caste-affected States should urgently take robust action to eradicate such violations through, inter alia, the enactment and effective implementation of specific legislation and the adoption of special measures, policies and programmes to address the entrenched situation of marginalization and exclusion experienced by women and girls owing to their caste status.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 133
- Paragraph text
- Ad hoc supervisory bodies or specific departments in national human rights institutions should be established to address and monitor caste-based discrimination, where relevant. They should analyse existing domestic legislation, and recommend programmes and provide advice on public policies to enhance the implementation of non-discrimination legislation. They should provide complaint-handling services, including by receiving complaints, conducting investigations and initiating or pursuing legal actions in relation to cases involving caste-based discrimination. These bodies should be independent and provided with sufficient funding, resources and staff to adequately fulfil their mandate.
- 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
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 134
- Paragraph text
- Law enforcement officers should receive training to identify and adequately respond to cases of caste-based discrimination, particularly those involving caste-based violence. Rapid-response protocols should be developed and implemented by police officers to attend to victims and conduct in situ investigations. Criminal penalties should be established for law enforcement officers who neglect or intentionally decide not to investigate and/or prosecute complaints filed by individuals regarded as "low caste". Recruitment of members of affected communities into law enforcement agencies should be encouraged, including through the establishment of a quota system for caste-affected individuals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 135
- Paragraph text
- Human rights education in schools should be a mandatory subject. Language in school textbooks should be revised to eliminate stereotypical and prejudicial portrayals of caste-affected communities and contest the social construction of caste and caste-like systems and related notions, including untouchability and segregation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 136
- Paragraph text
- Specific measures should be developed to tackle discrimination, including on the grounds of caste, in all development and disaster recovery actions and programming. Implementation of caste-analysis methodology in the humanitarian assistance framework to adequately identify affected communities, as well as the implementation mechanisms to ensure that humanitarian relief is equally distributed, is fundamental to prevent caste-based discrimination from being replicated in humanitarian response actions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 137
- Paragraph text
- States should extend invitations to special procedure mandate holders to assess the situation of caste-affected communities in their respective countries and request their assistance for technical cooperation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 138
- Paragraph text
- The draft United Nations principles and guidelines for the effective elimination of discrimination based on work and descent should be promoted by States and endorsed by the Human Rights Council.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Legal status
- Non-negotiated soft law
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2010
- Document code
- A/HRC/13/23
Document
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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
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. 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