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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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Legal, cultural or linguistic biases may also hinder effective minority participation in public life. High electoral thresholds usually have an adverse effect on the ability of minority communities to secure political representation and can constitute indirect discrimination. Requirements for the registration of political parties can restrict in an unreasonable and disproportionate way the ability of persons belonging to minorities to exercise their freedom of assembly and association. The delineation of electoral districts may distort the distribution of voters, thus having a discriminatory effect on a particular group or resulting in gerrymandering. Constitutional provisions on minority participation are alone insufficient to guarantee effective participation. Specific laws and policies enabling the implementation of such constitutional principles are necessary. The implementation of the latter must, in turn, be monitored and minority participation in their articulation, implementation and monitoring must be secured.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The collection of data disaggregated by ethnicity, age, gender, geographical distribution and other relevant categories is an important precondition for the development of adequate and efficient models of participation of persons belonging to minorities. Such data make it possible to monitor the participation of minorities and ascertain whether fair and representative participation mechanisms have been put in place. The collection of disaggregated data must take place in accordance with international standards on personal data protection, as well as respecting the right of persons belonging to minorities to choose freely to be treated or not as minorities. Representatives of minorities should be involved in the process of data collection, and the data collection methods should be designed in close cooperation with them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Access to membership in viable political parties is important for the effective mobilization of minorities in the political process, both in elections and in the conduct of the business of the legislature and administrative bodies. In some countries ethnicity-based or faith-based political parties are prohibited by law or greatly discouraged. In other countries, minorities or religious groups may either have their own political parties, or their interests may be represented by mainstream parties. The nature of the electoral system may impact on the nature of political parties and the way in which minority interests are, or are not, addressed. Both types of parties have advantages and disadvantages for minorities: minority-focused parties may address minority issues but they will risk having fewer resources and less political influence and may, if narrowly focused, increase the public perception of minorities and minority issues as marginal. Of course, political party platforms that are racist in content violate international law whether adopted by minority or majority parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Some types of electoral systems may be more conducive than others to the election of minority representatives, and mechanisms specifically designed to enhance minority representation may also be incorporated into the electoral system. The electoral system prescribes how votes are translated into seats and different systems can lead to different outcomes on the same number of votes. The Human Rights Committee has stressed that "[t]he principle of one person, one vote, must apply, and within the framework of each State's electoral system, the vote of one elector should be equal to the vote of another". As a matter of general principle, therefore, each voter has one vote. However, in certain circumstances, in particular where the minority is small and as a special measure to improve the integration of a minority into the political system, members of minorities may have the right to vote for both a minority representative with a reserved seat and a general non-minority representative.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- One system of power-sharing which is frequently regarded as enabling minority participation in Government is consociationalism, whereby all larger minorities are entitled to participate in Government and to a proportion of positions in the public service. Under consociationalism, ethnic groups are recognized as political entities and, as such, are entitled to a large degree of self-government in matters deemed to be internal to them, and to a share in power when matters of common interest are being resolved at the national level. It is also possible to base power-sharing not explicitly on ethnicity but on political parties; such arrangements tend to encourage the political integration of ethnic groups. A major criticism of consociationalism is that it risks excluding and disempowering smaller minorities who are not included in such arrangements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- Effective participation in decision-making processes, particularly in those which have an impact on minorities, is a precondition for the full and equal enjoyment of the human rights of persons belonging to them. There are at least two key lessons to be drawn. The first is the truly essential nature of the right to effective participation: the fulfilment of so many other fundamental human rights is both dependent on and a prerequisite for its fulfilment. The second lesson is that the effectiveness of the political participation of minorities must constantly be evaluated and at all levels of society, in order to ensure that it is real and meaningful. A full set of recommendations can be found in document A/HRC/13/25.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation is a fundamental human right, affirmed in a number of key international legal instruments. Effective participation underpins the realization of all human rights of women and men belonging to ethnic or national, religious and linguistic minorities. It is through effective participation that a person expresses and protects her or his identity, ensuring the survival and dignity of the minority. The right to effective participation recognizes the fact that the participation of minorities in various areas of life is essential for the development of a truly inclusive and just society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- It is for these reasons that the independent expert on minority issues chose effective political participation as the theme of the second session of the Forum on Minority Issues, held in Geneva on 12 and 13 November 2009. It should be underscored from the outset that the right of minorities to effective political participation does not encompass separatist movements. Rather, the intent is to ensure the inclusion of all persons belonging to minorities in a just and fair society. This background document summarizes the relevant basic international legal principles, the preconditions for ensuring effective political participation, and some of the models and conceptual tools that States are using in order to meet their international obligations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation, the prohibition of discrimination and special measures are firmly rooted in international human rights law. The right of all persons to take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives, as well as to vote and be elected in genuine periodic elections is affirmed in article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This provision is an elaboration of article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives."
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The United Nations Human Rights Committee has interpreted the conduct of public affairs broadly as the exercise of power in the legislative, executive and administrative branches. In the view of the Committee, the provision covers all aspects of public administration, including the formulation and implementation of policy at international, national, regional and local levels. Furthermore, citizens may participate in the conduct of public affairs directly or indirectly. Once a mode of participation is established, no distinction should be made between citizens as regards their participation on such grounds as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, and no unreasonable restrictions should be imposed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights places explicit emphasis on non-discrimination in the exercise of the rights contained therein, as they are to be enjoyed "without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 [of the Covenant]". Article 2 secures the respect for the rights recognized in the Covenant without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. This basic principle of prohibition of discrimination is repeated elsewhere in the Covenant and articulated in a number of instruments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The concept of special measures is relevant for the effective political participation of women and men belonging to minorities as it can facilitate the implementation of minorities' rights to vote and to stand for office. It has been endorsed by the United Nations human rights bodies and by regional human rights institutions. With regard to the right to vote, the Human Rights Committee recognized that "[p]ositive measures should be taken to overcome specific difficulties, such as illiteracy, language barriers, poverty, or impediments to freedom of movement which prevent persons entitled to vote from exercising their rights effectively. Information and materials about voting should be available in minority languages".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination which inhibits the political participation of minorities may manifest itself in, among others: a type of electoral system which negatively affects minority representation; political parties which are adverse to minority issues and minority membership; widespread prejudice among the electorate which punishes parties willing to include minority candidates or voice minority issues; media which are hostile to minority concerns and participation. Given the centrality of the issue of discrimination to the right to effective participation, Governments should consider instituting independent monitoring and individual complaints mechanisms, such as the ombudsperson's function adopted in a number of countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Many States are engaged in ongoing efforts to accommodate the interests of diverse communities. 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. Efforts must be made to give voice to the diversity of members within minority communities, including women, youth and the elderly.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 48
- 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, 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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- States have significant leeway to decide, in consultation with minority communities, the modalities by which political participation can be achieved. Those measures may include the devolution of certain powers by means of a federal or autonomy arrangement; electoral systems based on proportional representation; a system of reserved seats for minorities in parliament; or the facilitated participation in the electoral process of political parties representing the interests of minorities. Most importantly, the modality for political inclusion must afford minorities genuine influence. Tokenism or State interference in the process of identifying political representatives, for example, may lead to deeper frustrations. Further, full respect for freedoms of expression and assembly is critical.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Article 1 (1) of the Declaration requires 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". Article 1 (2) requires that "States shall adopt appropriate legislative and other measures to achieve those ends". Article 2 (3) requires that minorities have the right to participate effectively in decisions on the national and, where appropriate, regional level concerning the minority to which they belong or the regions in which they live. Article 4 (2) requires that "States shall take measures to create favourable conditions to enable persons belonging to minorities to express their characteristics and to develop their culture, language, religion, traditions and customs". Article 5 (1) establishes that "(N)ational policies and programmes shall be planned and implemented with due regard for the legitimate interests of persons belonging to minorities".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Forum on Minority Issues at its second session focused on effective political participation. It recognized that it is frequently necessary to adopt positive institutional measures designed to enhance minority participation in decision-making bodies. It recommended parliamentary arrangements, proportional representation and other appropriate electoral systems-related measures that can increase opportunities for minorities to participate. Reserved or shared seats have proved useful in ensuring minority representation in elected bodies. Where minorities are geographically concentrated, forms of devolved power or territorial or political autonomy can facilitate minority participation in regional or local institutions. Political parties are key actors and should adopt measures aimed at engaging minority communities, addressing minority issues and ensuring minority representation. The Forum recommended a specific mechanism or institutional procedure to survey and monitor progress on minority participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- National institutions with minority rights expertise can facilitate arbitration, dialogue, national debate and activities to prevent and find solutions to ethnic or religion-based tensions. Independent bodies are particularly important when a minority group considers the Government to be the cause of its grievances or to be unresponsive to them, or in situations where an independent intermediary is needed to overcome lack of trust between conflicting groups. Under her mandate, the Independent Expert has noted that 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
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Minorities are often poorly represented in institutions, including human rights bodies and ministries working on central concerns of minorities. Improving minority representation and participation is a vital component of improving the quality of institutional attention to minority rights. As previously noted, political participation is both a right of minorities and essential to their achieving wider inclusion and participation in decision-making at the national and local levels; and consequently, Governments should both monitor the participation of minorities and implement mechanisms and institutional arrangements that ensure their representation in political and decision-making bodies at local and national levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 19
- Paragraph text
- Issues and concerns have frequently been raised with the mandate of the independent expert relating to the rights of linguistic minorities. The Declaration on Minorities establishes that States shall protect the linguistic identity of minorities within their respective territories and shall encourage conditions for the promotion of that identity. It emphasizes that minorities have the right "to use their own language, in private and in public, freely and without interference or any form of discrimination". Article 4 of the Declaration requires that "States should take appropriate measures so that, wherever possible, persons belonging to minorities may have adequate opportunities to learn their mother tongue or to have instruction in their mother tongue".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph