Search Tips
sorted by
30 shown of 47 entities
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- The following thematic discussion forms part of an ongoing programme of work by the Independent Expert to ensure that minority issues are given appropriate attention in the context of the post-2015 development agenda. She will continue to consult widely on this issue with all relevant stakeholders at the global and national level to achieve this objective.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ensuring the inclusion of minority issues in post- 2015 development agendas 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Addressing inequality is an overarching goal that, if it is achieved, will inevitably bring with it benefits for disadvantaged minority groups across a wide range of other areas that the post-2015 development agenda consultations are addressing. The rationale behind such an inequalities-based approach is strong, however it must be driven at a global and donor level to overcome barriers of discrimination, power-dynamics, and lack of political will that are often evident at the national level. In the Synthesis Report of the Global Thematic Public Consultation on the Post-2015 Development Agenda focusing on inequalities, it is stated that "there is considerable evidence that inequalities in one structural domain increase the likelihood of inequalities in others. In the event of opportunity for improvements in one domain, the chances of progress are often undermined or rendered inaccessible by simultaneous intersecting disadvantage in another. These intersecting and mutually reinforcing inequalities are often rooted in historical relationships, and continue to be reproduced through discrimination in social, economic, environmental and political domains."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- In April 2014, Rwanda Media High Council, in partnership with the African Media Initiative and the Ethical Journalism Network, launched the campaign "Turning the Page of Hate Media in Africa", coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the genocide. The campaign aims to promote ethical, tolerant and inclusive journalism, good media governance and responsible communications through the open information landscape, and includes a guideline document to test for hate speech in journalism practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Independent regulatory bodies, such as media watchdogs, councils and ombudsmen, monitor media reporting, identify and report on hateful content and reinforce ethical standards. However, regulatory media bodies must not unduly censor media sources and must comply with international standards. The Press Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina monitors the application of the Press Code and the investigation of complaints. In 2014, in the context of the general elections campaign, it launched the campaign "STOP! Hate Speech!".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- Media self-regulatory bodies in the Americas include the Ethics Committee of the Journalism National Council in Panama. The Committee brings together journalists, media owners, civil society, academics and the Office of the Ombudsman and receives and responds to complaints about journalism practices.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, in its resolution 2000/4, established that discrimination based on work and descent was a form of discrimination prohibited by international human rights law, and requested Governments concerned to put in place all necessary constitutional, legislative and administrative measures, including affirmative action, to prohibit and redress that form of discrimination, as well as to criminally sanction all persons or entities within their jurisdictions who might have engaged in practices of discrimination on the basis of work and descent.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 117
- Paragraph text
- In its general recommendation No. 29 (2002), the Committee requested States to "establish statutory mechanisms, through the strengthening of existing institutions or the creation of specialized institutions, to promote respect for the equal human rights of members of descent-based communities".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 119
- Paragraph text
- In 2004, India established the National Commission for Scheduled Castes as a separate body with a wide-range of functions, including monitoring implementation of legislation on scheduled castes, investigating complaints and reporting periodically on the status of implementation of legislation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Court has long asserted that minority protection justifies the application of a different electoral system within the State in order to ensure better minority representation in the legislature. Nevertheless, it has established that, "any electoral system must be assessed in the light of the political evolution of the country concerned", and, as a result, "features that would be unacceptable in the context of one system may accordingly be justified in the context of another".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- A recent study of Sierra Leone underscores the importance of translation: of individuals interviewed in pretrial detention, 9 per cent did not understand English, the language typically used in the courts.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Failure to accommodate a convicted minority prisoner's particular needs may cause so much additional suffering, compared with that of non-minority prisoners in an equivalent position, as to render the punishment discriminatory and a violation of equality before the law. Such punishment could constitute cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment or even torture.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- In the United Kingdom and parts of Canada and Spain, police are required to record and issue a receipt to anyone they stop, question or search, indicating the person's ethnic origin (where possible, self-identified), the name of the police officer, and the date, location and reason for the action. Such practices should, in principle, be implemented by all law enforcement agencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities 2013, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- On 19 and 20 November 2012, the Independent Expert participated in an event in Doha on the theme "Reflections on the inclusion of human rights in the process of constitutional reforms in the region of the Middle East and North Africa", organized by OHCHR. She highlighted the fact that implementation of the Declaration should be strengthened in the region and that strong provisions for minority rights in constitutions and national law are important components of protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- While extreme nationalist, racist, xenophobic or radical elements may exist in any country, States which fully implement minority rights protections and legal, judicial and institutional safeguards are better placed to ensure that any illegal actions and incitement to acts of violence are prohibited and prosecuted according to the law. Hate-motivated activities are curtailed by legal prohibition and appropriate penalties and through a general societal rejection of them. The threat of prosecution and appropriate penalties is a major deterrent and preventative tool.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Establishing institutions for the protection of minority rights and ensuring attention to minority rights within existing national and human rights institutions are essential violence prevention measures. Such institutional attention facilitates early warning and early response and the establishment of the appropriate policy frameworks and violence prevention strategies that are essential to the prevention of violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- A prime example is the constitutional arrangement derived from the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Annexes thereto (Dayton Peace Agreement) (A/50/790). According to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, membership in the House of Peoples and the Presidency are reserved solely to those who identify as belonging to one of the "constituent peoples". That provision has been found by the European Court of Human Rights to violate international legal protections against discrimination on racial or ethnic grounds, and specifically the rights of persons belonging to ethnic groups other than the Bosniacs, Serbs or Croats. Sustainable peace is highly dependent on the participation of all population groups in peace negotiations and resulting State institutional arrangements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- As an illustrative example, in the late 1990s the High Commissioner monitored the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and became very concerned about grievances of the ethnic Albanian population, particularly with respect to access to Albanian-language university-level education and other language rights, as well as the right to run their own media outlets and political participation. He issued an early warning within OSCE and also took a project-oriented approach to easing tensions around the contentious language issue. The High Commissioner persuaded the Government to adopt a new language law permitting private universities to offer instruction in languages other than Macedonian. He then raised the funds to establish a new university that would offer instruction in Albanian.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur conducted a total of eight official country visits, to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cameroon, Iraq, Nigeria, the Republic of Moldova, Sri Lanka and Ukraine.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Next year will mark the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Forum on Minority Issues, and the Special Rapporteur considers this to be an ideal opportunity to further reflect on the above-mentioned challenges and ways to better promote and achieve the goals of the Forum.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- In Turkey, data indicates that the Roma population ranges from 500,000 to 5 million. In Ukraine, 47,600 persons identified themselves as Roma, according to 2001 census data, yet the Council of Europe estimates there are between 120,000 and 400,000 Ukrainian Roma. In Belarus, the 2009 census indicated a population of 7,316 Roma, but the Government recognizes that that number does not necessarily reflect the true figure, which ranges between 50,000 and 60,000. The 2010 census in the Russian Federation estimated that there was a population of 205,007 Russian Roma, although Council of Europe data suggest a larger population of between 450,000 and 1.2 million.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Roma are also vulnerable to violence by State actors, which can be both explicit and implicit. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about police harassment, intimidation and abuse. Empirical studies indicate that Roma are overrepresented in the criminal justice systems across Europe, with research indicating that they are often detained arbitrarily on account of their Roma identity. The lack of a visible Roma presence in police forces and judiciaries compounds that problem.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also remains concerned by the failure of public authorities to protect Roma from violent attacks. That includes the lack of systematic intervention and condemnation by public figures when political and public discourse perpetuates racist and extreme views about Roma, and the failure of law enforcement authorities to protect Roma from the perpetrators of crimes against them. For example, a violent police crackdown on a Roma community in Slovakia in 2013 was condemned by a number of special procedures mandate holders, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the country's Ombudswoman. Nevertheless, the Minister of the Interior of Slovakia publically labelled the Roma victims of that intervention as criminals, and investigation into the police misconduct has been slow, with no charges brought against the police to date. Such failures by authorities to protect Roma adequately and to distance themselves from all manifestations of anti-Gypsyism not only promote a climate of distrust, dissuading Roma from reporting violent crimes against them to authorities, but also create an atmosphere of impunity and may encourage further acts of violence against Roma.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur notes that, due to the scant or total lack of information received from countries outside Europe, it was difficult for her to provide a balanced assessment of initiatives regarding Roma programmes across the regions. Nevertheless, she attempts to highlight some key examples using the pillar framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Although not all European States officially recognize 2 August as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, the Special Rapporteur is pleased that the European Parliament has recently adopted a resolution on recognition of the memorial day of the Roma genocide during the Second World War and that that many States are moving in that direction. In order to better recognize the victims of the Roma genocide and to improve understanding of the situation of the Roma in Sweden, in 2014 the Government published a white paper highlighting abuses and rights violations of Roma throughout the twentieth century and showing the negative stereotyping and discrimination they continue to face.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The European Commission programme, Strategies for Effective Police Stop and Search project was designed to improve police-minority relations through more accountable use of policing power. It has been implemented with police and Roma in Bulgaria, Hungary and Spain and has proven effective in improving police relations with Roma, producing more efficient policing activities and increased legitimacy and trust.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- In Hungary, the documentary film series "Mundi Romani - The World through Roma Eyes" is a co-production of the Romedia Foundation. Each episode presents a different aspect of Roma culture in locations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. The series provides insights into Roma culture and was nominated for and received a number of local and international prizes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The Council of Europe has launched an awareness-raising campaign entitled "Dosta!", which emphasizes the value of Roma for societies through an interactive website, on television, in school projects and training for the media and teachers. It also awards a prize to local authorities that have taken steps to uphold and protect the rights of Roma. The Government of Latvia informed the Special Rapporteur that, in order to implement the "Dosta!" campaign, its Ministry of Culture, together with the Latvian Centre for Human Rights, would organize an event entitled "Latvian Roma - between past and future" in April 2015 in Riga, aimed at eliminating negative stereotypes about Roma and promoting intercultural dialogue.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The University of Texas is home to the first university Romani Studies programme, and has become the leading institution in the United States of America for studies on Romani history, language and culture. The programme provides scholarships to Roma for educational qualifications at any level and houses the Romani Archives and Documentation Center, the largest collection of Romani materials in the world.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The National Institute to Combat Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism (Instituto Nacional contra la Discriminación, la Xenofobia y el Racismo - INADI) of the Government of Argentina coordinates the "Discrimination Map" project in collaboration with several universities. In 2013, the situation of the Roma was specifically addressed and Roma were found to be among the most discriminated groups in Argentina. One priority of INADI is establishing a dialogue with the Roma community in order to better understand their needs and challenges. INADI also sponsored a book on Roma history, legends and traditions and the documentary film "Roma - Gelem, Gelem" in 2015 with the goal of introducing a shift at the cultural level to combat racism against Roma.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- In Colombia, Decree 2957 of 2010 was adopted to set up a legal framework for the protection of the rights of Roma in Colombia, recognizing collective rights for Roma people. The same year, the National Commission for Dialogue for Roma People (Comisión Nacional de Diálogo para el Pueblo Rom) was created to coordinate action between governments and local communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph