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The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- States should pay particular attention to the ways in which memory and mourning processes related to the Roma Holocaust are framed, collected and disseminated, including through the media and formal and informal education systems. In this regard, she recalls the importance of including Roma in all such endeavours, including at all official ceremonies commemorating victims of the Second World War.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Social media is a fertile ground for radical and terrorist groups to spread hateful messages. ISIL uses online platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube, to deliver updates on their actions as well as to reach out to potential donors and recruits, including posting videos and graphic material. The misuse of social media by ISIL has been described by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights as "the product of a perverse and lethal marriage of a new form of nihilism with the digital age".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- In Myanmar, for example, discriminatory citizenship laws have led to the statelessness of the Rohingya, who continue to face particular obstacles in accessing humanitarian assistance, which was particularly highlighted during the outbreak of violence in 2012 (see A/HRC/32/18, paras. 19 and 26).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also includes disasters in her report, whether natural or man-made (see section H below). Defined as calamitous events that seriously disrupt the functioning of a community or society, disasters cause human, material and economic or environmental losses that exceed the community's or society's ability to cope using its own resources. These can be a result of spontaneous natural hazards, such as hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and wildfires, or be a result of more frequent slow-onset and mega disasters such as recurring droughts or floods. Disasters can result in the devastation of communities, loss of lives, leading to displacement, or migration, and can also lead to more complex emergencies such as loss of livelihoods, famine, housing crises and medical pandemics, which can also lead to mass displacement.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Studies reveal that poor reporting by the media on features such as ethnicity and religion involves, inter alia, labelling, selected use of data, generalizing incidents, negative stereotyping, giving one side of a story, use of derogatory words, mixing facts and views, absence of fact checking, and mismatching of the content of the text and headlines, images and sound. Lack of knowledge about ethnic and religious issues by media reporters, absence of in-house training, poor financial situation of media outlets, heavy workload and scarce time to prepare reports were highlighted as obstacles to good, unprejudiced reporting.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- The Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity at Oxford University has undertaken detailed quantitative and qualitative research into conflict and horizontal inequalities (inequalities between ethnic, religious or linguistic communities) in 8 countries in three regions, and statistical desk research in 55 countries. The Centre concluded that in the top 5 per cent of countries with the greatest socio-economic inequalities, the risk of conflict is tripled when compared with the average. The risk of conflict increases again if socio-economic inequalities are combined with inequality in access to political decision-making, and inequality in cultural status adds a further risk factor.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2011
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Preventive diplomacy can be most effective when tensions first arise between a Government and a minority, and they are relatively susceptible to third party engagement. Envoys may work discreetly, as the situation is not yet in the glare of national or international media. Parties may be willing to calmly present their concerns, and to explore possible solutions. When a situation develops from these initial tensions to actual incidences of violence, positions begin to harden and resistance to compromise grows. It becomes more difficult for leaders to make compromises as the depth of feeling and emotion among their constituencies increases.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2010
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- When violent conflict does occur in diverse societies, applying a minority rights-based approach to consultations regarding peace agreements will require that all communities affected by the conflict, including those that are not active parties to it, be able to participate in the settlement process. That approach should counteract a tendency common in many conflict situations, whereby Governments, and to a certain extent the international community, focus predominately on addressing the demands of communities that are linked to armed movements, which may result in peace agreements that guarantee rights for some communities at the expense of others. That outcome both rewards the use of violence and violates the rights of those not associated with armed movements.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Year
- 2010
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- The Secretary-General has laid out a three-pillar strategy for the implementation of the responsibility to protect (see A/63/677), drawn from paragraphs 138 and 139 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome. The first pillar emphasizes the primary responsibility of States to protect their populations by preventing genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity (atrocity crimes). The second highlights the commitment of the international community to assist States to meet their obligations and to provide necessary support and capacity-building measures when a State is unable to meet its obligation to protect populations. Under the third pillar, the international community must use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other means to protect populations from these crimes but must be prepared to take additional collective action to protect populations, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. The three pillars are not sequential and each pillar is of equal importance. They are also mutually reinforcing: while appointing a special envoy to a country to monitor a deteriorating situation is a response on its own, it is also a preventative tool as it might help to stop the violence from escalating.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Owing to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, specific challenges face minority women and girls affected by humanitarian crises. According to the General Recommendation on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations of the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (see CEDAW/C/GC/30, para. 36), during and after conflict specific groups of women, including, inter alia, internally displaced and refugee women, women of diverse caste, ethnic, national or religious identities, or of other minorities, are at a particular risk of violence, especially sexual violence. These groups of women "are often attacked as symbolic representatives of their community". The Committee has further noted that stateless women and girls face heightened risk of abuse during conflict, owing to, among other factors, their minority status (ibid, para. 60). Minority women may be particularly at risk of sexual and gender-based violence and other forms of violence, including slavery and trafficking. The Special Rapporteur was deeply troubled and saddened when she listened to the testimonies of Yezidi women in Iraq of sexual and gender-based violence committed against them by Daesh, which acts must be fully investigated and their perpetrators prosecuted.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The mandate of the Special Rapporteur thus complements and enhances the work of the Forum, and the Special Rapporteur has fostered the complementary and mutual reinforcement of both mechanisms throughout her tenure. She has guided a total of six sessions of the Forum on the following themes: "Guaranteeing the rights of minority women" (2011), "Implementing the United Nations declaration on minority rights: identifying positive practices and opportunities" (2012), "Guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities" (2013), "Preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes targeted against minorities" (2014), "Minorities in the criminal justice system" (2015) and "Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises" (2016). Since 2013, the Special Rapporteur has devoted her annual thematic report to the General Assembly to the same topic as the Forum session, as a means to contribute to and inform the discussions within the Forum. The Special Rapporteur notes that the themes she selected for the annual sessions focused on areas that had emerged as particularly concerning or problematic for minorities and where they believed that minority rights should be better applied and mainstreamed. She believes that the Forum makes a vital contribution to deepening international understanding on these important and topical areas as well as to international standard and norm setting.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur sought further opportunities to build on the work of the previous mandate holder on the role of minority rights protection in conflict prevention presented to the General Assembly in 2010 and the Human Rights Council in 2011, and dedicated her report to the General Assembly in 2014 (A/69/266) as well as the seventh session of the Forum on Minority Issues to preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- Humanitarian responders, whether national or international, should also receive training to better understand the minority rights framework in order to be able to better identify discrimination against minorities in situations of crisis, and to be better equipped to be able adequately to respond to their needs. Recruitment of minorities into humanitarian agencies should be encouraged.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Evidence indicates that minority communities may be more vulnerable to disasters, both natural and human-made, insofar as they may be both inadequately prepared for such emergencies, and disproportionately affected by them. Furthermore, experience has demonstrated that minority communities are also less likely to be equal beneficiaries of adequate humanitarian aid and/or rehabilitation when or after disasters strike.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur does not suggest that an intention of direct discrimination by humanitarian relief providers is necessarily always the cause of differential treatment of minorities in the aftermath of disasters. Politically dominant areas may happen to be more accessible to points of entry for finance, materials and relief personnel, a situation often referred to as "tarmac bias".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 90
- Paragraph text
- Emergency response failures can have catastrophic consequences, including loss of the ability to work or live independently, permanent injury and even death. For minorities who are likely to suffer disproportionate harm in disaster, this can be compounded. Thus, the needs of minorities must be addressed during all three phases of emergency response operations - pre-event planning and preparation, the event and recovery.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Minority groups fleeing crises can face disproportionate obstacles in terms of accessing labour markets, when they are in camps and once they are in host communities. Discrimination and fear is often at the origin of this challenge. The right to education can also be particularly impeded, especially for children who flee a crisis and enter a country where they do not know the language.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Unfortunately, minorities may not only be disproportionately impacted by disasters, but also may experience discrimination in terms of equal access to humanitarian aid in times of disasters, a discrepancy which often then extends to the rehabilitation phase, thereby keeping minorities socially and economically behind in their longer-term recovery from such events.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- For example, the Muhamasheen minority in Yemen have been severely affected by the Yemeni conflict, and suffer from an almost absolute lack of protection in a protracted situation of conflict crises and limited humanitarian resources. Unlike others affected by the conflict, Muhamasheen have often been displaced into open spaces or the edges of towns, making their access to resources, such as shelter, water or medical emergency assistance, even more difficult.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- While recognizing the great diversity in the experiences of minorities affected by humanitarian crises, the Special Rapporteur has adopted a global approach, focusing on common themes and patterns experienced by displaced minorities across regions. The Special Rapporteur also refers to particular examples to highlight specific challenges facing minorities. These cases are intended to be illustrative and are in no way exhaustive.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance, has developed Operational Guidelines on protection of persons in situations of natural disaster. This document also contains important references to minorities and an annex on the protection of specific groups, cross-referencing the relevant guidelines.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- A humanitarian crisis can be defined as the experience of a country, region or society of a total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict and which requires an international response that goes beyond the mandate or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing United Nations country programme.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The International Federation of the Red Cross has also developed a Strategic Framework on Gender and Diversity for 2013-2020 which includes some important points regarding the inclusion of minorities in humanitarian relief work. The Framework specifically notes the importance of diversity, and highlights that through embracing diversity, it is possible to reduce the impact of many other humanitarian problems, including violence, inequitable health care and the negative consequences of disasters.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Underlying International Humanitarian Law are the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence, and the key norm of "Do no harm". In the context of minority rights, this is inherently interlinked with the principle of non discrimination, and therefore all humanitarian action should therefore strive to treat minorities equally, without adverse distinction.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur hopes, through her analysis, to contribute to the better understanding of the forms of discrimination and violence that minorities face during crises and in their aftermath, and that her report can contribute to improving methods to ensure that in the context of humanitarian crises, minorities are treated in accordance with international human rights law.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph