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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
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination based on caste increases the vulnerability of affected groups to contemporary forms of slavery. Research indicates that forced and bonded labour is widespread within caste-affected communities, despite legal bans. In South Asia, Dalits comprise the majority of people subjected to domestic bonded labour, and a large number of victims of trafficking in persons, sexual slavery and other forms of labour exploitation are members of low castes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Committee noted that the significance of the indicators for predicting genocide or violence against racial, ethnic or religious groups should be supplemented by additional general indicators on: (a) prior history of genocide or violence against a group; (b) policy or practice of impunity; (c) existence of proactive communities abroad fostering extremism and/or providing arms; and (d) presence of external mitigating factors, such as the United Nations or other recognized invited third parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2014
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that authorities effectively and promptly investigate any crimes against Roma individuals and communities, including by investigating any alleged discriminatory motive behind the attacks. Police officers should refrain from using force during police operations, including in informal settlements, and all allegations of harassment or unlawful use of force by police should be thoroughly investigated.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 93
- Paragraph text
- States should take measures to monitor hate speech and incitement to violence against Roma, including in the media and social media, and respond appropriately, including by prosecuting perpetrators. States should collect data on hate crimes against Roma. Such data should include the reporting, investigation, prosecution and sentencing of the crimes. The data should be made publicly accessible, while respecting the right to privacy, in order to assist the development of policies to combat hate crimes against Roma.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- 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
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In the United States, in 2013, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Uniform Crime Reporting Program, recorded almost 6,000 hate crimes incidents: 48.5 per cent were racially motivated (66 per cent anti-Black, 21 per cent anti-White, 5 per cent anti-Asian, 4 per cent anti-American Indian or Alaska Native); 17.4 per cent were motivated by religious bias (59 per cent anti-Semitic, 14 per cent anti-Islamic, 6 per cent anti-Catholic); and 11.1 per cent stemmed from ethnicity bias (53 per cent anti-Hispanic or Latino biased).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Some initiatives seek to involve ISPs in combating online hate speech, by advocating the implementation of reporting mechanisms for illegal material posted on their services, identifying hateful content that violates the terms of service or code of conduct of the ISPs and requesting the ISPs concerned to remove it. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been actively involved in combating online hate speech through close collaboration with ISPs as well as law enforcement agencies, and providing training resources and educational materials on hate crimes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- The Umati project in Kenya emerged out of concern that mobile and digital technologies had played a catalyzing role in the 2007-2008 post-election violence in the country. The project seeks to better understand the use of dangerous speech in Kenyan online space, by monitoring blogs, forums, online newspapers, Facebook and Twitter. From October 2012 to November 2013, over 7,000 incidents of hate speech in English and local languages were identified. They were shared with other Kenyan organizations responsible for countering hate speech.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- In the Central African Republic, hate speech has been recognized as having played a role in inflaming and fuelling violence and has been described by United Nations officials as a possible precursor to serious human rights violations, including potential genocide. In March 2014, the United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide alerted the media that Muslims were being "deliberately and systematically targeted by the anti-Balaka" in attacks referred to as "cleansing operations". He referred to reports of hate speech by anti-Balaka (Christian armed groups) on public media referring to Muslims as "rotten potatoes" and public justification of their actions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- Authorities must be aware of and respond to the risk of stigmatization or other discriminatory abuse on the part not only of prison staff, but of other inmates as well.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide has produced an analysis framework which comprises eight categories of factors for determining the risk of genocide: inter-group relations, including a record of discrimination and/or other human rights violations committed against a group; circumstances that affect the capacity to prevent genocide; presence of illegal arms and armed elements; motivation of leading actors in the State/region, and acts which serve to encourage divisions among national, racial, ethnic and religious groups; circumstances that facilitate the perpetration of genocide (dynamic factors); genocidal acts; evidence of intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnical, racial or religious group; and triggering factors.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Year
- 2014
- Date modified
- Sep 21, 2020
Paragraph
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
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- Women from disadvantaged caste groups are also the main victims of trafficking, and are especially vulnerable to early and/or forced marriage, bonded labour and harmful cultural practices. Accusations of witchcraft are sometimes made to deprive Dalit women of their basic economic and social rights, including access to land and their assets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Available data indicate that caste-based violence against women and girls, in particular sexual violence, may be increasing. Violence and the threat of violence are frequently hidden and go unreported in villages and rural areas, forming a culture of invisibility, silence and impunity which, in many instances, places the burden of shame on victims instead of perpetrators.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Manual scavenging, the digging of graves, the cleaning of human excretions and forced prostitution also expose individuals in lower castes to a range of health hazards. Research further indicates that children in lower castes are at greater risk of infections and nutritional deficiencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- They are often the victims of caste-based violence, particularly sexual violence. A study identified 12 major forms of violence against Dalit women: nine in the community (physical assault, verbal abuse, sexual harassment and assault, rape, sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, kidnapping or abduction, forced incarceration and medical negligence), and three within the family (female feticide and infanticide, child sexual abuse and domestic violence).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Dalit women face obstacles in accessing formal justice systems. These include the refusal by police officers to register criminal complaints or delays in filing complaints, lack of proper investigation into complaints of violence and ill-treatment, and insensitivity by law enforcement officials.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Atrocities against women from marginalized castes are often committed when they try to assert their rights and challenge caste and gender norms. Perpetrators include dominant caste landlords, police officers, doctors and teachers, with the "punishment" both being expressive of caste outrage and intended to teach the woman and her community a lesson.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
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 and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Entrenched caste discrimination within the criminal justice system translates into victims facing multiple obstacles at every stage of the legal process: from lodging a complaint to investigation, trial and judgement. Often, the fear of reprisal prevents victims from reporting attacks, resulting in underreporting and impunity. In South Asia, most violence against Dalits and Dalit communities is underreported and not addressed by Governments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Minority women, many of them from low-caste backgrounds, may be subjected to kidnapping and forced religious conversion. According to the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of religion or belief, "such incidents seem to occur in a climate of impunity". Civil society organizations have reported several cases of Dalit Hindu girls being kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam following marriage in Pakistan.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
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
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Caste-based discrimination on the grounds of religion has a particular impact on women and girls. The existence of practices labelled as "religious dedication" of girls to temple deities, including the Devadasi system, constitutes a de facto form of forced prostitution and sexual slavery, mainly targeting Dalit girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- In India, manual scavenging constitutes a caste-designated occupation that is mainly imposed upon Dalits, particularly Dalit women, who represent 95 per cent of manual scavengers. Despite the passing of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act in 2013, the practice reportedly persists, institutionalized through State practice, with local governments and municipalities employing manual scavengers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- In 2014, ternYpe, the International Roma Youth Network, and its partners organized a conference and youth event gathering 1,000 people from 25 countries to raise awareness among young Europeans, civil society and decision makers about the Roma Holocaust, as well as about anti-Gypsyism in the context of racism, hate speech and extremism in Europe.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Several self-regulatory media bodies have started to operate in Africa, some of them in countries with a history of hate speech and incitement to violence against minority groups. The Rwanda Media Commission was established in 2013 with the mandate to promote ethical journalism, defend media freedom and adjudicate complaints against the media; some commentators have alleged censorship and serious restrictions on media freedoms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date modified
- Feb 14, 2020
Paragraph