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Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Disaggregated data-gathering should be conducted at the national, regional and local levels through the national census and periodic social surveys, accompanied by appropriate statistical analysis. It is essential to include data takers from diverse backgrounds, including minority persons, especially in territories where minorities are concentrated. Census questions should allow for open and multiple responses to enable respondents to self-identify according to their national, ethnic, religious and linguistic affiliation, including multiple identities. It is necessary to develop various socioeconomic indicators and indices to adequately assess possible marginalization of and discrimination against minorities with respect to, inter alia, access to education, employment, health, housing and public services. Moreover, other forms of surveys, such as population surveys that measure experiences, perceptions and attitudes, and situation-testing surveys to directly measure discrimination in specific instances may be necessary to fully understand the status of minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur often came across gaps between the ambitious policies, legislation, action plans and programmes on minorities, on the one hand, and the lack of mechanisms in place to actually carry them out or monitor their implementation, on the other. She is concerned that during her tenure, several countries had difficulties in identifying the most relevant governmental departments in charge of minorities and even when they did so, their capacities in terms of staff, budget and authority often did not meet the necessary minimum standards to provide effective attention to and protection 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is of the view that given the importance of realizing minority rights as an essential means to prevent tensions and conflict, investment in institutional attention to minority issues is needed more than ever. States should redouble their efforts to institutionalize expertise in minority rights before tensions arise, in order to identify potential problems and implement effective prevention measures. This is important not only for States with significant minority populations and where there is a history of ethnic or religious tensions or conflict, but for all States, owing to the present international migration dynamics whereby new minorities are called upon to coexist with other groups who have been established for a longer time on the territory.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The national dimension of the institutional attention to minority issues must be complemented and reinforced by solid regional and international mechanisms tasked to promote domestication of minority rights, as well as the protection and promotion of minority standards regionally and internationally. In this regard, the Special Rapporteur recognizes several existing good practices, such as the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and various dedicated mechanisms of the Council of Europe, while also noting the need for further strengthening regional mechanisms. For instance, there are no specialized mechanisms on minorities within the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Economic Community of West African States or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Special Rapporteur began a dialogue, encouraging the creation of focal points on minorities within regional mechanisms as a starting point, and urged that consideration be given to the possible extension of the mandates of relevant existing bodies.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- As part of its crucial role on minority issues, it is imperative that the United Nations take a stronger stance in advocating for minority rights protection at both national and regional levels, to ensure that States strengthen their legal, policy and institutional frameworks and that regional anti-discrimination and minority rights standards and mechanisms are put in place for the protection and promotion of minority rights, respectively. Equally, the Organization should consider strengthening existing mechanisms and platforms for minorities within the United Nations system, including the Forum on Minority Issues, by providing additional resources. Furthermore, the establishment of a committee to monitor the implementation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948 is long overdue and would assist Member States in complying with their obligations under the Convention.
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Forum on Minority Issues, which replaced the Working Group on Minorities, was established in 2007 by the Human Rights Council in resolution 6/15 and reaffirmed in 2012 by resolution 19/23. It is mandated to provide a platform for promoting dialogue and cooperation on issues pertaining to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as well as to provide thematic contributions and expertise to the work of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues. The Special Rapporteur is tasked with guiding the work of the Forum, preparing its annual meetings and reporting on the thematic recommendations of the Forum to the Council. The Forum meets annually in Geneva for two working days, allocated to thematic discussions. An average of more than 500 participants attend the Forum, including minorities, Member States, United Nations mechanisms, regional intergovernmental bodies and NGOs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- It will be important in the future to consider bringing the Forum on Minority Issues into the various regions so members of minorities and NGOs who cannot afford to travel to Geneva will be able to contribute to the Forum's deliberations in their respective localities. It would also be desirable to extend the session for longer than two days so more participants could take the floor and the discussions could go deeper into the heart of the recommendations. Other challenges include the limited awareness of the Forum at regional and local levels and the lack of capacity to follow up on the implementation of its recommendations. Furthermore, it will be important to foster the ownership of the Forum's agenda by minorities themselves, to encourage focused and constructive participation of States and minority representatives, to strengthen the engagement of other United Nations bodies in the Forum and to promote a more interactive dialogue and discussion during its sessions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- In her report to the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur shared her observation that persons belonging to minorities were frequently the victims of violence and atrocities. Violence could take the form of attacks on individuals, their homes, shops or places of worship, or wider acts of aggression against communities with different national, ethnic or religious identities. In the worst cases, violence constituted mass atrocities, crimes against humanity, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and even genocide, often perpetrated with impunity. Sometimes violence was committed by non-State actors, including those belonging to the majority, or by larger, more powerful groups, extremist groups, or even business actors. Sometimes it was perpetrated by State actors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- She recalled that a primary objective of the United Nations and of most States in the area of peace and stability was to prevent violence before it broke out. The tragic experiences of past violence and atrocities had helped to better understand the causes of violence and the fact that minorities were frequently targets, and to produce indicators to predict violent incidents and provide early warning. However, States too often failed to translate clear early warnings into adequate, appropriate and timely measures to prevent or stop violence. In order to save lives and ensure peaceful societies, a high priority of stakeholders at all levels must be to improve prevention mechanisms and turn early warning into early action. At the national level, good and inclusive governance that included minorities and measures to ensure equality was a key prevention prerequisite. The international community must also improve its ability to engage and assist States in efforts to prevent and resolve violence and to intervene effectively where States failed in their responsibility to protect minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- In view of the current state of affairs, with increasing hate speech, xenophobic rhetoric and incitement to hatred against minorities, coupled with the rise of far-right and extremist political parties worldwide, the Special Rapporteur believes that it is crucial to appoint a high-level official on minority issues within the Secretariat and to establish senior positions within United Nations departments and agencies dedicated solely to issues of minority rights protection, diversity management and safeguarding pluralistic societies. The designation of minority focal points in all United Nations field offices would also be a great step forward.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also believes that United Nations staff in all offices and entities, particularly in the field, should better reflect the national, ethnic and religious makeup of the societies in which they operate. Staff members from minority groups not only bring expertise on the issues affecting minorities to the work of the United Nations, but also serve as a bridge between United Nations and minority communities. The Special Rapporteur was pleased to identify good practices in this regard. In 2012, the United Nations country team in the Republic of Moldova conducted an internal survey to assess the diversity of its staff and launched an internship programme for persons belonging to the identified underrepresented groups, including persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants and Roma. The Special Rapporteur strongly encourages the replication of this initiative in other United Nations offices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The previous mandate holder emphasized that while Governments bore the primary responsibility for protecting and ensuring the rights of all within society, minorities themselves had a vital role and important responsibilities relating to their own communities and their place and integration in wider society. Therefore, the Special Rapporteur recognizes and applauds the work of grass-roots organizations and individuals in every region of the world working with and on behalf of disadvantaged minority communities to protect and promote their rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has prepared a contact list of interested minority activists who wished to be kept informed about the activities undertaken under the mandate and who were subsequently included in the mailing list. She also provided contact information to the OHCHR NGO database, which now includes details and information about various minority civil society organizations. She welcomes current initiatives by the OHCHR Indigenous Peoples and Minorities Section to create a database of all minority fellows who participated in the OHCHR Fellowship Programme. She believes that this group of former fellows would be well positioned to make important contributions to the work of OHCHR and the mandate with respect to minorities, eventually forming an important caucus to advance United Nations activities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- International as well as national legal frameworks on minority rights are essential. However, they are not sufficient to guarantee the actual implementation of the rights of persons belonging to minorities. The Special Rapporteur has repeatedly emphasized that specialized mechanisms need to be put in place at all levels to facilitate legislative and policy development and the design, implementation and monitoring of minority-related programmes (A/67/293). And while Governments have the primary responsibility to implement minority rights, regional and universal mechanisms are called upon to play an important role in supporting, guiding and monitoring States' compliance with international standards on minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Specialist national institutions and mechanisms on minority rights should have proactive mandates that include, inter alia, reviewing and proposing domestic standards and providing expertise and information to legislative drafting and policymaking processes; monitoring laws and policies with respect to minority rights and recommending amendments or implementation measures; encouraging and coordinating programming on minority issues and strategies devised to address problems relating to minorities; promotion and education activities; developing good practice guides, information resources and reports; developing campaigns and outreach relating to minority rights and building bridges and working as effective channels of communication between minority communities and the public administration. Their role is of paramount importance to ensure that the enjoyment of minority rights is a reality and not merely an aspiration.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- To date, the present Special Rapporteur and the previous mandate holder together sent a total of 26 communications to Member States jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, addressing situations whereby minority rights defenders were targeted because of their work. Some of them suffered reprisals, arrest and detention, as well as expulsion, in connection with their human rights activities. The Special Rapporteur raises her deep concerns about cases of reprisals against minority rights defenders, and urges minority activists to inform her Office whenever any intimidation or reprisal occurs in connection with their work, so that appropriate action can be taken.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur had identified the need to expand the group of minority activists and experts cooperating with the mandate and providing information. She wished to support the establishment of a global network or caucus of minorities that would serve as a communication link between diverse minorities and minority rights-focused non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from all regions and facilitate the sharing of information on a systematic basis among minorities, and between the United Nations and minority groups. She also committed herself to helping the United Nations, in particular OHCHR, to establish and expand contacts with minority civil society organizations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities will take place in 2017. This anniversary provides a unique and timely opportunity to reflect on the past achievements and to look forward to identify ways to further strengthen international standards on minority rights protection. In its preamble, the Declaration states that "the promotion and protection of the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities contribute to the political and social stability of States in which they live" and emphasizes that the constant promotion and realization of such rights "as an integral part of the development of society as a whole and within a democratic framework based on the rule of law, would contribute to the strengthening of friendship and cooperation among peoples and States".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Additionally, the Special Rapporteur has repeatedly called attention to minority groups that have been in particularly precarious legal situations owing to their lack of citizenship or the refusal of their respective countries to recognize and grant them rights as minorities. She has sent several communications to Member States where discriminatory legislative amendments, immigration reforms and other administrative decisions have placed minority communities at further risk.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur appreciated the work undertaken by her predecessor to highlight the situation of minorities in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, work that was highly important as the international community approached the 2015 deadline for achieving the Goals. She decided to dedicate a thematic report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/25/56) to ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post-2015 development agendas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has observed challenges to use of the term "minority" for certain distinct communities, either because they reject being referred to as minorities on the basis of a perceived negative connotation, or because they self-identify as minorities but the State refuses to recognize them as such.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- It will be essential to ensure the effective continuation of the Forum on Minority Issues. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank in particular the Governments of Austria and Hungary for their generous support from the outset. The Special Rapporteur hopes that more States will attach increased importance to this unique platform. She encourages them to demonstrate their commitment to minority rights by contributing to the funding of the Forum so as to ensure its sustainability and progress.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur wishes to state at the outset that she is of the view that the progress achieved in the last decades in the field of minority rights protection is under threat, and that there is a serious risk that guarantees that have been put in place could be reversed. In recent years, protracted and recent conflicts of various kinds around the globe have led to an unprecedented number of internally displaced persons, migrants and refugees, many of whom belong to minority groups. Increasing hate speech, xenophobic rhetoric and incitement to hatred against minorities have been coupled with the rise of far-right and extremist political parties that are using minorities as scapegoats to divert domestic attention from entrenched and structural problems. Developments in the field of counter-terrorism legislation, discrimination and lack of representation of minorities in governmental structures and within the administration of justice globally have resulted in minorities being increasingly targeted. Widespread attacks against minority individuals and communities, perpetrated with total impunity in different regions, demonstrate the continuing vulnerability faced by minorities around the globe.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- In her first thematic report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/19/56), the Special Rapporteur identified, on the basis of the provisions of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, eight thematic priorities to feature in her work during her term as mandate holder. These focus areas reflected some of the priorities that had been brought to her and her predecessor's attention by minorities themselves. In the present section, the Special Rapporteur summarizes the activities undertaken that are relevant to those priorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Following her thematic study on the rights of linguistic minorities, the Special Rapporteur produced the handbook "Language rights of linguistic minorities: a practical guide for implementation", which is available in all six official languages of the United Nations on the mandate's website. This linguistic guide aims to serve as a practical tool to assist policymakers and right holders to have a better understanding of linguistic rights as well as to provide best practices that could be replicated in different contexts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur welcomes the increasing attention devoted by the United Nations to minority issues worldwide in recent years, as well as within the system itself. This includes the creation in 2012 of the United Nations network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities, coordinated by OHCHR and comprised of more than 20 United Nations departments, agencies, programmes and funds. The network developed specific recommendations and principles for effective United Nations action in addressing racial discrimination and protection of minorities in line with international standards, which were issued as a guidance note of the Secretary-General in 2013.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is alarmed at the rise of populism, which hampers efforts to include minorities in the national psyche in their respective countries. She is concerned that even the very notion of democracy is being challenged and that there are views that are widely shared, especially on social media, that a democratically elected political leadership has the power to take any decision freely, without, and even against, minorities because minorities - usually being inferior in number - are subject to the will of the majority. The Special Rapporteur stresses that democracy requires good and inclusive governance under which legal, administrative and territorial arrangements are made to allow peaceful and constructive group accommodation on the basis of equality in dignity and rights for all and that allows for the pluralism necessary to enable persons belonging to different groups to preserve and develop their identity (see E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2005/2, Commentary, para. 13).
- 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
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- While the Special Rapporteur fully respects the principle of self-identification, she considers that further efforts are necessary to fully convey the meaning, scope and implications of the term "minority" to minority groups themselves, so that the term can be reclaimed and used with the empowering intent it actually holds. She reiterates that the term "minority" does not imply any inferiority or diminished status in any way, but rather the recognition that the principles of equality and non-discrimination are not fulfilled for certain groups. Minority protection entitles persons belonging to minorities to specific rights, imposing concrete obligations on States to ensure the survival and continued development of the cultural, religious and social identity of the minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has often been struck by the general lack of knowledge and understanding about the most disadvantaged minorities and their daily struggles for basic human rights and dignity. This is often compounded by negligence on the part of authorities, owing to non-inclusive governance, lack of channels of communication between minorities and authorities and lack of accessible spaces for safe exchange of the various views, concerns, experiences and aspirations. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that growing inequalities in many parts of the world and the increasing concentration of power in the economic and political spheres as well as in the media will lead to further marginalization of those who are already on the bottom. She believes that communication, trust-building and power-sharing between various groups belonging to different societal strata are prerequisites for sustainable development, peace and stability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has been particularly alarmed by the limited, or often complete lack, of minority presence in political and public offices. She has repeatedly stressed throughout her tenure the need to ensure that minorities are included in all decision-making processes, including in municipal and government structures, law enforcement bodies, the judiciary, legislative bodies, criminal justice systems and all authorities, especially when their decisions affect minorities. Without their participation, such bodies are less able to make vital decisions in a way that benefits the entire society, and they will also be less trusted by minorities, who might be reluctant to access them, or discouraged from doing so.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph