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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. 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. 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. 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
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. 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. 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 in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- [In this context the Special Rapporteur on minority issues has decided to dedicate her final report to the General Assembly to this important topic, considering two guiding questions:] In the context of humanitarian crises or disasters, what are the additional challenges that minorities face when seeking protection, even when the trigger of their displacement or changed situation is not directly linked to their affiliation as members of that minority group?
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- [In this context the Special Rapporteur on minority issues has decided to dedicate her final report to the General Assembly to this important topic, considering two guiding questions:] Are minorities more likely to be affected by humanitarian crises or by disasters, and therefore experience greater hardship, displacement, or increased need to seek refuge in another country?
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur is aware that there are a number of reasons underlying the lack of readily available data in this field. First, there is the likely reluctance of minorities displaced or affected by crises to identify themselves as ethnic, national, religious or linguistic minorities for fear of further discrimination or violence. Second, States may be unwilling to collect such data, insofar as they do not recognize the affected minority group members as citizens, do not recognize their minority status, do not recognize they have been displaced or do not want to draw attention to specific difficulties faced by members of their societies. Finally, in displacement contexts, humanitarian agencies tend to disaggregate data mainly by sex and age, and rarely address other categories, including minority status or special needs. The lack of accurate data and needs assessment of specific groups such as minorities has therefore had an impact on the ability to develop humanitarian programmes that target and address comprehensively discrimination facing minorities in the context of crises.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- UNHCR's Age, Gender and Diversity policy (2011) specifically addresses diversity, which is understood as referring to "different values, attitudes, cultural perspectives, beliefs, ethnic background, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, health, social status, skill and other specific personal characteristics" (see sect. II.5). It further acknowledges that "women and men belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities or indigenous groups often experience discrimination and marginalization, factors that are compounded in forced displacement situations. Age, gender and other specific factors may expose them to additional protection risks and discrimination." It therefore advises UNHCR staff to work closely with minority and indigenous groups to identify the risks they face as well as strategies to mitigate them, which is of fundamental importance (see sect. V.23).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Finally, UNHCR's Working with National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and Indigenous Peoples in Forced Displacement (2011) is a very useful tool which acknowledges the potential vulnerabilities of minorities who are displaced, and recognizes that these obstacles may be multiplied during forced displacement and increase protection risks.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) (see E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2) are based upon existing international human rights and humanitarian law, as well as analogous refugee law, and are intended to serve as the international standard guiding States, international organizations and other relevant actors in providing assistance and protection to internally displaced persons. Principle 6.2 stipulates that "the prohibition of arbitrary displacement includes displacement: (a) when it is based on policies of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, or similar practices aimed at/or resulting in altering the ethnic, religious or racial composition of the affected population". Principle 9 further stipulates that "States are under a particular obligation to protect against the displacement of indigenous peoples, minorities, peasants, pastoralists and other groups with a special dependency on and attachment to their lands".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- At the regional level there have also been some specific instruments and references to minorities in the context of crises. The Organization of African Unity has adopted the Convention governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa (1969). Furthermore, during the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, held in 2006, 11 States adopted the binding Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region, comprising 10 separate protocols, including the Protocol on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons. Principles 6 and 9 of the Protocol replicate the provisions of Guiding Principles 6 and 9 referenced above on protection from displacement and on specific protection granted to indigenous peoples, minorities and other groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- There is sometimes a direct causal link between belonging to a minority group and being affected by a humanitarian crisis. Indeed, belonging to a minority group can be a direct factor leading to displacement in the context of conflict. As has been observed by OHCHR, the "lack of respect for, lack of protection and lack of fulfilment of the rights of minorities may be at least a contributing factor if not the primary cause of displacement and may in the worst cases - even lead to the extinction of such communities. The displacement of minorities can thus serve as an indicator of the degree to which their rights are respected, protected and fulfilled in the country from which they are displaced."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Indeed, displacement of minority communities continued unabated in 2014 and 2015. In Iraq, visited by the Special Rapporteur in February 2016, the Yezidi minority have been targeted on the basis of their identity by the Islamic State, and forced to flee their homes, in particular in Sinjar, Northern Iraq. Other Iraqi minority communities, including Christians, Turkmen, and certain Sunni Arab tribes, have also been particularly exposed to attacks by members of the Islamic State.
- 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
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- Even outside fully fledged armed conflicts, discrimination against minority groups in societies may reach such levels that it results in hate-based crimes and leads to internal displacement. In Myanmar, violence and atrocities committed against the Rohingya, coupled with the Government's refusal to recognize their status as an ethnic minority, and denial of their citizenship, has been and is still pushing the Rohingya to flee to other parts of the country or abroad.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- While minorities may be affected in different ways by humanitarian crises owing to their minority status or indirectly, they may also often face specific human rights challenges and discrimination during or after potential displacement or disruption because of humanitarian crises, owing to their specific position as a member of a minority group in a society, even when the trigger of their displacement or changed situation is not directly linked to their affiliation to that minority group. Indeed, the Special Rapporteur notes that belonging to a minority, coupled with other potential discriminatory factors, such as gender, can have a dramatic impact on humanitarian protection afforded to the person.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- On the one hand, the disadvantage experienced by minorities in terms of accessing humanitarian relief in crisis is often explained by existing logistical limitations. In crisis and conflict situations, humanitarian assistance may be concentrated in capital cities and/or in a small number of very large, officially recognized refugee or internally displaced persons camps, with very little reaching the periphery where minority and vulnerable populations may reside.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Minorities may also experience particular restrictions on their freedom of movement during conflict and humanitarian crises, including more frequent stops or because of their identity even being blocked at border and checkpoints when attempting to flee conflicts, as well as intimidation, discrimination or even violence against them when trying to flee. For example, it has been well documented that sub-Saharan African migrants and asylum seekers, seeking to transit through countries in North Africa en route to Europe have been particularly targeted on account of their race, and suffered violence. In some instances, minorities seeking asylum status may be arbitrarily detained and forcefully deported to their home countries without adequate assessment of their asylum claims and/or may encounter particular obstacles to be registered as asylum seekers based on their minority characteristics.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In other circumstances, including during internal conflicts, certain minorities' freedom of movement is restricted on account of their identity, owing to perceived threats that they pose. This can lead to a refusal to permit passage to safe areas and restrict access to humanitarian assistance for those individuals because of the community's identity or ethnicity. The Special Rapporteur observed this with regard to internally displaced persons in relation to Sunni Muslims in the Kurdistan region in Iraq (see A/HRC/32/35/Add.1, para. 43).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Violence against minorities can also be more insidious, as has been evident with the recent migration crisis in Europe. Recent protracted conflicts in the Middle East, and in particular the Syrian Arab Republic, led to mass migration flows to Europe in 2015 and 2016. However, this has also been coupled by certain xenophobic reactions against particular flows of asylum seekers and refugees fleeing crisis, which may in turn lead to more violence and insecurity against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- In some cases, when conflict erupts, minorities may have their property confiscated. In her report on the visit to Ukraine, the Special Rapporteur referred, among other concerns, to the loss of property by those displaced from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, including reports of property seizure (see A/HRC/28/64/Add.1, paras. 48 and 62). Furthermore, where minorities flee or are expelled from their lands owing to conflicts or crises, and new communities have settled there, it may be particularly challenging for minorities to reclaim those lands. This difficulty can be compounded where minorities lack documentation to prove ownership rights (see A/HRC/22/49/Add.1), and in particular where ownership was established through customary law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Minorities may also be at particular risk of forced return, either in the context of an ongoing humanitarian crisis or once such a crisis is deemed to have ceased. Return always needs to be voluntary, and carried out in safety and dignity in participation and consultation with minorities. Regrettably, the Special Rapporteur has observed with concern examples of minorities forcefully deported back to situations of crises or persecution.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Finally, while internal displacements due to disasters have traditionally been for short periods, their increased frequency and severity, including owing to climate change, point to more chronic situations likely to involve new, more prolonged or definitive displacements - and requiring more comprehensive displacement responses, in particular taking into account the needs of minorities. Moreover, recurrent disasters, such as more frequent flooding for example, can significantly impact the resilience of the people living in disaster-prone areas, including owing to destruction of livelihoods and destruction of homes and basic infrastructure.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- Minorities may face particular challenges in the search for durable solutions, which can include returning to places of origin (for internally displaced persons) or voluntary repatriation (for refugees) once crises or disasters have subsided, or alternatively settlement elsewhere in the country (for internally displaced persons) and resettlement to a third State (for refugees) in host communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- In terms of return or repatriation, minorities may face particular obstacles, if they fled owing to violence perpetrated against them because of their minority status and the root conditions of that violence have not been resolved. Minorities may also be reluctant or unable to return home where, upon returning to their place of origin or habitual residence they have become even more marginalized because the conflict or disaster has for instance changed the demographics of an area. Furthermore, return or repatriation is often more difficult for those who have no land to return to, which may often be the case for marginalized minorities who may not have security of tenure over their lands.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- Local integration and settlement in new communities can be particularly challenging for minorities who are internally displaced persons and refugees, as they need to adapt to new environments, with no support networks, and may be victims of discrimination with host communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- Although the resettlement of refugees to third countries from refugee camps makes up only a very small percentage of all durable solutions, there is also the worrying concern that certain ethnic or national minorities are routinely excluded from such programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph