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The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- In countries where political power is seen to be concentrated in the hands of one or a few identity groups, it is common for those groups to be disproportionately represented in the public service, which can be a powerful source of tension. The adequate representation of minorities at all levels and in all branches of the criminal justice system, for example, can have particularly important implications for relations between disadvantaged communities and the Government. Negative encounters with police or security forces at the local level shape minority perceptions of their treatment and acceptance by the State.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires that "(i)n those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language". The Declaration further elaborates the rights of minorities and the obligations upon States. Numerous provisions within the Declaration require positive measures in legislation, policy and programming to ensure the full and effective participation of minorities in public life. Their implementation may best be achieved through a national policy and institutional framework incorporating targeted attention to minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert is particularly concerned about the situation of religious minorities in all regions. Information received by the mandate of the independent expert and the work of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, as well as other thematic mandates, have revealed disturbing attacks and violence against members of religious minorities and their places of worship, affecting Buddhist, Christian, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslim, and other religious minorities in several regions. Such violent attacks have been documented in numerous countries and different regions and are not confined to any one region. Long-standing and new forms of anti-religious extremism and the use of the internet and social media to spread hate speech and encourage discrimination and violence must be condemned at the highest levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- When they have easy access to institutions providing channels of complaint and remedy, including in their own languages, minorities are more likely to engage such bodies, and bring complaints of discrimination, which too often go unreported and unchallenged. Institutional attention to minority issues conveys a positive message to minorities, namely, that government recognizes their issues and concerns, and is committed to finding solutions to challenges involving minorities; and it also helps to instil confidence within communities. This may be particularly important in times of political and social upheaval, or administrative or regime change, or following conflict involving or impacting upon minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The full and effective participation of minorities is fundamental to the realization of minority rights and a key objective of national institutional attention to minorities. Effective attention can be achieved only with the participation of minorities, both as staff and as partners in the work of institutions addressing minority issues. It should always be remembered that minorities are members of society and should have their full say on issues involving all aspects of society, and not only on those issues of particular minority concern. In cases where they do not have that say, institutional attention to minority rights and minority issues is a means of enhancing their participation in all aspects of the economic, social and political life and development of their countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities 2013, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The scope of both minority rights and freedom of religion or belief is wide and inclusive. This is clear from the relevant norms enshrined in articles 18 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the related General Comments 22 and 23 of the Human Rights Committee relating to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and minority rights, respectively. Minorities are to enjoy culture, religion and language, and freedom of religion or belief is to include manifestation in "worship, observance, practice and teaching". This scope is also upheld in other instruments such as articles 14 and 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Those standards therefore call upon States to seek to allow for and actively facilitate the adequate functioning of religious minorities in all their related activities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- In some national contexts Governments have imposed prohibitive restrictions on the use of minority languages in public spheres, including in political life. Under such circumstances minorities have even faced prosecution for exercising their right to use their language publicly, for example in the context of political campaigns. Such actions may be imposed in the context of efforts to stringently enforce the use of a single national language or assimilate minority communities via restrictions on their language use. In some cases, inter-ethnic or inter-religious conflict may motivate such restrictions designed to marginalize and exclude a particular population group. Few cases have been reported of restrictions on the use of minority languages in private life; however, aggressive promotion of a national language and restrictions on education in the mother tongue may be interpreted by members of a minority as attempts to assimilate them or eradicate minority language use in all spheres.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- In some countries the use of minority languages has been deemed a threat to national unity and an attempt by minorities to reinforce territorial or separatist claims and has consequently been restricted or banned. Restrictions on language use have been reported alongside alleged prohibitions on aspects of cultural life, including song or theatre performances in minority languages, or political and civil society activities. In those contexts minority languages may become highly emotive issues, and such prohibition is a significant cause of grievances for minority communities. Any restriction on the use of minority languages and freedom of expression must be fully justified and proportionate. Attempts to prohibit or abolish the use of minority languages constitute a gross violation of minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- While it is legitimate to promote a common State language, certain factors should be taken into account to ensure that such promotion does not become discriminatory in practice. The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities has emphasized that an appropriate balance is required between strengthening the State language on the one hand, and protecting the linguistic rights of persons belonging to national minorities on the other. In some situations historical grievances relating to language use, including the previous imposition of non-native languages, have been reported; however, such issues do not constitute legitimate grounds for restrictions to be imposed on the use of any language in public or private or failure to fully implement minority rights relating to language.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- The minority rights principles of non-discrimination, equality, participation and consultation must be respected, including with respect to language, to ensure that the issues and views of minorities are taken into account and their needs are adequately addressed. Linguistic minorities must be consulted and have a full and meaningful role in decisions affecting them, including relating to the shaping of language policy and practice, nationally and in the regions in which they live, in such key areas as education and official and administrative communications. Their views, perspectives and concerns should be fully taken into account to ensure that language issues do not become sources of grievances or conflict.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- In its commentary on the Declaration (see E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.5/2005/2), the Working Group on Minorities stated that the protection of the existence of minorities included their physical existence, their continued existence on the territories on which they lived and their continued access to the material resources required to continue their existence on those territories, and that they should neither be physically excluded from the territory nor excluded from access to the resources required for their livelihood. The Working Group considered that the right to existence in its physical sense was sustained by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and that forced population transfers intended to move persons belonging to minorities away from the territory on which they lived, or with that effect, would constitute serious breaches of contemporary international standards, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Minority victims may be reluctant to report the crime to police, owing to a history of negative experiences with the authorities, lack of faith in the justice system, or lack of knowledge of their rights or lack of practical information such as on where and how to make a complaint. They may fear that bringing themselves to the attention of the authorities will generate more suspicion and result in persecution of themselves, their family or their community. They may have a fear of reprisals from the perpetrators of the crime owing to a lack of confidence that authorities will protect them, pursue the investigation or take the perpetrators into custody. Some may fear deportation, particularly if they do not have recognized legal status in the country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Families
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur believes that similarly, United Nations staff in all offices and entities, particularly in the field, should better reflect the national, ethnic and religious make-up of the societies in which they operate. With established, strong networks of consultation with minorities and trust-building efforts between United Nations offices and minority communities, the Organization will be better equipped to fulfil its vital role in recognizing and responding to early warning signs of intercommunal tensions and be better prepared to prevent mass atrocity crimes and genocide, of which minorities are the most frequent targets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- It is critical that the process be guided by the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination. Communities that may be more populous, that have greater disruptive capacities or military strength or that may be more successful in commerce may emerge at an early stage as the principle contenders for distribution of political power and State resources. However, under such conditions, minority rights must be prioritized, enabling members of all minority groups to participate effectively in decisions affecting them and in all aspects of society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- From a minority rights perspective, every individual should also have the right, whether as accused or as witness, to use his or her native language in criminal proceedings, even if capable of communicating in a majority language. This is important both for the protection and promotion of identity and to ensure effective and informed participation. In Slovenia, for instance, some municipalities with a significant concentration of Italian- and Hungarian-speaking minorities permit the use of these languages in court proceedings.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The effective and meaningful participation of minorities in the political arena can be a pivotal element in avoiding violent conflict. While members of minorities have the right to participate in decision-making processes, particularly those that affect them, as established in article 2 (3) of the Declaration, the reality is often quite different. Minorities are greatly underrepresented in the political processes and governing institutions of most countries for a variety of reasons. They may be intentionally restricted from participation or inadvertently disadvantaged by laws or policies, or there may be a lack of political will to dismantle structural barriers to the full and equal participation of minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Although article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the exercise of the right to public participation to citizens, it has come to be widely recognized that citizenship requirements can hamper effective participation in certain fields of public affairs. While it remains accepted for States to impose certain restrictions on non-citizens concerning the right to vote and to be elected, such restrictions should not be applied more widely than necessary. Denial of citizenship has been used by States to exclude minorities from the enjoyment of their rights. States should consider allowing non-citizens belonging to minorities to vote, stand as candidates in local elections and be members of the governing boards of self-governing bodies, while making sure that access to citizenship is regulated in a non-discriminatory manner. Positive examples of this kind exist in a number of States.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- A central issue in relation to the political participation of minorities is how to determine that the quality of participation is truly "effective". When considering whether participation of persons belonging to minorities is effective, two of the most important aspects of participation must be examined. The first relates to the means which promote full and effective equality of persons belonging to minorities. The second assesses the impact of these means on the situation of the persons concerned and on the society as a whole. This impact may be viewed differently by different actors, depending on their engagement in the processes. It is not sufficient for States to ensure formal participation of persons belonging to minorities; States must also ensure that the participation of minority representatives has a substantial influence on decisions which are taken, so that there is, as far as possible, a shared ownership of the decisions taken.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Mere political participation, therefore, is not sufficient to constitute "effective" participation, and a number of considerations arise in this regard. One relates to the legitimacy of minority political representatives. It must be kept in mind that minority communities are heterogeneous and this diversity must be reflected in pluralist representation. Moreover, the political representatives can alienate themselves from their core constituencies, thus failing to fulfil the function of being genuine and effective spokespersons. And if minority representatives are not empowered to make substantial and influential decisions on issues of relevance for their communities, their participation will be tantamount to tokenism and not "effective participation".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Recalling that 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities, the independent expert urges all stakeholders, including United Nations Member States, civil society and minorities themselves to undertake efforts and initiatives to increase awareness of the Declaration amongst all people within their respective States and regions, and to actively promote its implementation and the full enjoyment of all human rights by persons belonging to minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Under article 1 of the Declaration on Minorities, States are required to protect the existence and religious identity of persons belonging to religious minorities and encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity. Article 2 establishes that persons belonging to religious minorities have the right to profess and practise their own religion, in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination. Particularly relevant to the rights of religious minorities are the provisions in article 2 relating to the right to establish and maintain their own associations and to establish and maintain free and peaceful contacts with other members of their group, as well as contacts across frontiers, with citizens of other States to whom they are related by religious ties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities 2013, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Religious minorities should always be able to avail themselves of complaints procedures and civil remedies in the courts. Nevertheless, barriers often exist to their access to justice, which must be addressed. Minorities may be reluctant to bring complaints to the police owing to hostility or the reluctance of authorities to receive their complaints, or general poor relations of religious minorities with law enforcement bodies. Women may face particular problems or anxiety in bringing complaints. Where the courts are, or are perceived to be, highly influenced by the dominant State religion, minorities may feel that such justice bodies are inappropriate to their needs, especially where national laws discriminate against them. Religiously diverse societies should take steps to ensure that religious minorities are represented in law enforcement bodies and the judiciary and that, where appropriate, training or special judicial mechanisms that meet the needs of religious minorities are put in place.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert calls upon States Members of the United Nations to provide her with information relating to the national protection of linguistic minority rights and minority languages, including legislation, policy and practices. She particularly wishes to be informed of positive practices to protect and promote the rights of linguistic minorities. She encourages linguistic minorities and non-governmental organizations to provide her with information about their situations and challenges relating to minority-language use and their proposals for solutions to challenges.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Civil society has played an essential role in bringing issues of national concern to the attention of regional bodies and the United Nations. Too often, however, their information is neglected or rejected by the State in question and does not lead to action or further investigation. In some cases, a practice of denial of allegations by minorities and those working on their behalf and an adversarial relationship between the State and civil society are evident and result in a failure to appropriately address issues and complaints at all levels. This may reflect a wider political stance on minority communities and their marginalized position. A culture of dialogue should replace a culture of distrust.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Persons belonging to minorities have the right to participate in decisions concerning them or their region. States are the primary duty bearers with territorial jurisdiction, including over such third parties as business enterprises, as reflected in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Among the measures adopted to prevent violence against minorities when business actors are involved, it is essential to legally regulate and closely monitor business activities and to institutionalize channels for consultation among affected communities, Government and enterprises at all stages of operational activity. Minorities must be able to raise their issues and concerns about the impact of business and development activity on communities. The principle of free, prior and informed consent should be applied to minorities and their lands and territories.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Human rights standards also affirm that members of minorities must have equal access to training and service as law enforcement officials, including within the police, prosecution, judiciary and legal profession.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- International instruments recognize the right of all prisoners to communicate with and receive visits from the outside world, including family, friends and lawyers. As affirmed by the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules): "The treatment of prisoners should emphasize not their exclusion from the community, but their continuing part in it." These rights may have additional significance for members of minorities, for whom access to outside religious representatives or cultural groups may be as important as access to family and lawyers. Such contact may also be important with respect to the State's obligation to protect and promote the minority identity. The requirement that there be an attempt to place each prisoner in a facility near his or her home takes on particular importance for minority prisoners in the case where a particular minority is geographically concentrated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Families
- 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
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities 2013, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Based on the four pillars of minority rights concern - protection of existence, protection and promotion of identity, non-discrimination and equality, and participation in public life - the Independent Expert highlights below a number of issues with regard to the rights of religious minorities and areas of concern that require particular attention by States, regional bodies and the international human rights regime. Those issues are not exhaustive, and space constraints preclude a full discussion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 47/135 on 18 December 1992, is the overarching normative framework protecting the rights of minorities. The Declaration 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" (resolution 47/135, annex, art. 1, para. 1).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Means of adoption
- N.A.
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph