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Different levels and types of services and the human rights to water and sanitation 2015, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- [It also considers four broad categories of management models:] Self-supply.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Effective Implementation of the OPSC 2010, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Poverty and lack of a family environment are often the cause of institutionalization.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Thematic discussion on structural discrimination against people of African descent 2010, para. 122
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group stresses the need to address the overrepresentation of people of African descent who are subject to the criminal justice system, including mental institutions and the child welfare system, as well as double standards in sentencing. The Working Group notes the prevalence of structural discrimination, severely affecting persons of African descent, at all stages and levels of the administration of justice, including, inter alia, legislation, law enforcement, courts and tribunals. This has far-reaching consequences in terms of poverty, education and employment and undermines the fundamental democratic principles of political participation.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Thematic discussion on the situation of people of African descent in the context of the International Year for People of African Descent 2011 2011, para. 106
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group reiterates its call to all Governments to demonstrate the required political will for and commitment to the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, in particular concerning the provisions relating to people of African descent. In this context, the Working Group welcomes the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on 22 September 2011 and recognizes the importance of the meeting being allocated the time needed for the involvement of Heads of State and Government to make their contributions encouraging the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Thematic discussion on the situation of people of African descent in the context of the International Year for People of African Descent 2011 2011, para. 126
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group strongly recommends that the international community declare an international decade for people of African descent to make the challenges they face more visible, to identify solutions and to engage in a sustained campaign to eradicate structural discrimination against people of African descent. The theme proposed by the Working Group for the International Year, and which was widely accepted in the international community, should be adopted as the theme of the decade, namely "People of African descent: recognition, justice and development".
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Owing to the special and unique nature of discrimination often faced by people of African descent, particularly that related to the legacies of colonialism, slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, the Working Group deems it appropriate to make a careful distinction between their situation and that of other groups who face racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. It also sees the need to construct and delineate specific juridical categories that make it possible to address their needs adequately and overcome the obstacles they face. Therefore, in line with a recommendation from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Working Group recommends the elaboration of a United Nations Declaration on the Promotion and Protection of the Human Rights of People of African Descent, as one of the main objectives of the Decade.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Recognition of people of African descent as a distinct group is essential to increasing their visibility and thus to the full realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms. People of African descent must be recognized among others in national constitutions and legislation, through education, awareness-raising measures and the respect of their cultural rights. Self-recognition is also critical for people of African descent. In order to attain full recognition, data collection is crucial so as to confirm the presence, activities and overall situation of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- Recognition of people of African descent is related to the recognition of their existence, recognition of their contribution in the world development and recognition of their specific culture, history and heritage. It entails recognizing that people of African Descent are particularly vulnerable to racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance across the world, while also recognizing the specific, common history, culture and heritage of people of African descent globally.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- People of African descent are often categorized as a different race; but "race" is a socially constructed concept. Paragraph 6 of the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference reaffirms that "all peoples and individuals constitute one human family, rich in diversity, and that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights"; although throughout the history of humanity, people have been assigned identity based on race, both as a means of distinguishing one group from another, but more importantly as a means of control and domination. Therefore, an important step in the recognition of people of African descent is the deconstruction of the concept of "race".
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The recognition by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 21/33 of the term "Afrophobia", as had been recommended by the Working Group, requires an active and systematic follow-up in order to assure the full implementation of this important assertion of the special and unique form of discrimination faced by people of African descent and assuring its equal use with analogous terms that are used to address the stigmatization and prejudice against ethnic, religious and other vulnerable groups.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Education provides a gateway to the full enjoyment of other rights, including rights to freedom of movement and expression, access to justice and remedies when human rights are violated, participation in the cultural, social and economic life and in public affairs. Lack of education has perpetuated the cycle of poverty, racism and segregation, from the time of the infamous transatlantic slave trade to the present date. Conversely, education provides a vital key to sustainable poverty alleviation.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Environment
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 68g
- Paragraph text
- [States should also:] Support the study and recognition and promote greater knowledge of and respect for the history of people of African descent. All students and teachers around the world should be taught about African and African diaspora history, culture and contribution to progress, the impact throughout the time of the movement and settlement of diverse populations, as well as the nature and effects of colonialism and the slave trade, emphasizing people of African descent as survivors or resisters, whilst also recognizing them as victims of human rights violations under international human rights law;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 68i
- Paragraph text
- [States should also:] Ensure that national curricula include the history of Africa before European contact in history education, in order to empower people of African descent about their past before the transatlantic slave trade. Similarly, history education should feature the liberation struggles during and after the colonial period. History education should also be about the development of world civilizations and should stress the contribution of people of African descent to global economic development, especially that of Europe. This will help the recognition of people of African descent as world actors;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- Recalling paragraph 99 of the Durban Declaration, in which States concerned are called upon "to honour the memory of the victims of past tragedies and affirm that, wherever and whenever these occurred, they must be condemned and their recurrence prevented", States should adopt measures to preserve, protect and restore the intangible patrimony and spiritual memory of sites and places of the slave trade and slave resistance, giving increased visibility to this history and culture through museums, monuments, visual arts and other means, such as the permanent memorial at the United Nations headquarters to honour the memory of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The historical acknowledgement of people of African descent in global development has been characterized by the iconic status of some of the heroes and heroines and the development of tangible sites of memory to represent the other side of the intangible heritage of people of African descent. However, there are varying views and a gap in terms of the identification of many such heroes and, more importantly, heroines that have also contributed to the recognition of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75a
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Promote and protect the culture, identity and tangible and intangible heritage of the continent of Africa and people of African descent, and keep, maintain and foster their mode of life and forms of organization, languages and religious expressions;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75b
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Set up research programmes and circulate information to deconstruct the (mis)representation of people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75c
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Increase the visibility and recognition of people of African descent and the continent of Africa contributions to their respective societies and to global development; promote research on past and present conditions of people of African descent and compile existing information on their contribution to their respective societies in order to foster the development of intercultural society from a democratic perspective, recognizing diversity and promoting knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75d
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Support radio, television and Internet programmes about history and cultures of people of African descent and promote more positive and inclusive representations which increase their visibility within society and challenge negative stereotypes and resultant discrimination;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75e
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Celebrate the richness and creativity in all forms of artistic expressions by people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75f
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Consider proclaiming a national day in countries that do not yet have such a day, in order to celebrate the heritage, culture and contribution to the world of people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75g
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Put in place measures and procedures to prevent the media from perpetuating negative stereotypes;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 75h
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures which constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Promote within the United Nations system, especially through the annual reports of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNESCO and UNDP, the theme of people of African descent for the next year.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Another key enabling factor for ensuring the recognition of people of African descent and overcoming the historical "social invisibility" is through the collection, recording, monitoring and analysis of reliable information on their living conditions. Collecting, disaggregating and analysing data is an important step towards solving acute and long-lasting problems. It is also a demonstration of political will to monitor the human rights situation of groups facing discrimination.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- The existence of this data and appropriate data-collection systems are important tools for formulating, monitoring and assessing public racial-equality policies at the national, regional and local levels. Policies could include national action plans against racism and appropriate affirmative action policies to counter persistent or structural disparities and de facto inequalities stemming from historical circumstances that denied people of African descent the advantages needed to realize their full potential.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Special data-processing methods are necessary for protecting people's identity, in particular procedures that ensure anonymity and guarantee that data could not be traced back to individuals. There is a difference between personal data, which are subject to special protection, and processing impersonal statistical data, which is permitted for historical, statistical or scientific purposes. In that regard, efforts should be made to neutralize the risks inherent in identifying individuals and examine how the data could be dissociated from the identification of individuals. Relevant practice in the field of medicine could be an important guide.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 87b
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with paragraph 92 of the Durban Programme of Action, States should also:] Such statistical data should be disaggregated in accordance with domestic legislation. Any such information should, as appropriate, be collected with the explicit consent of the victims, based on their self-identification and in accordance with provisions on human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as data protection regulations and privacy guarantees. This information must not be misused. The statistical data and information should be collected with the objective of monitoring the situation of marginalized groups, and the development and evaluation of legislation, policies, practices and other measures aimed at preventing and combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as well as for the purpose of determining whether any measures have an unintentional disparate impact on victims. To that end, it recommends the development of voluntary, consensual and participatory strategies in the process of collecting, designing and using information. The information should take into account economic and social indicators, including, where appropriate, health and health status, infant and maternal mortality, life expectancy, literacy, education, employment, housing, land ownership, mental and physical health care, water, sanitation, energy and communications services, poverty and average disposable income in order to elaborate social and economic development policies with a view to closing the existing gaps in social and economic conditions;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 87d
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with paragraph 92 of the Durban Programme of Action, States should also:] Adopt laws regulating the collection and processing of ethnic and racial data that protect fundamental freedoms, including the right to privacy, provide the necessary safeguards for protecting data from misuse, such as racial profiling and negative monitoring, and ensure confidentiality of information, in accordance with relevant regional and international standards, in particular the Guidelines for the Regulation of Computerized Personal Data Files concerning the legality, fairness, accuracy and relevance of data, purpose-specification, interested-party access, non-discrimination, security, oversight and penalties. The normative framework should be approved beforehand and lay down the following minimum conditions: the person must give explicit consent; the data collection must serve the public interest, i.e., the fight against racial discrimination; and the framework must be legally binding;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 88h
- Paragraph text
- [States, through their government bodies, as well as national statistics institutes, human rights institutions and organizations for racial equality, in conformity with their mandates, should:] Carry out pre- and post-census awareness campaigns on the importance of gathering disaggregated data and disseminate results through the media. Published data should be accompanied by a careful analysis so that the information can serve as a useful tool in devising public policies for racial advancement.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 82q
- Paragraph text
- [States should also:] Improve quality standards of education in public education systems;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 84a
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Promote and protect the culture, identity and tangible and intangible heritage of the continent of Africa and people of African descent, and keep, maintain and foster their mode of life and forms of organization, languages and religious expressions;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 84b
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Set up research programmes and circulate information to deconstruct the (mis)representation of people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 84c
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Increase the visibility and recognition of the contributions of people of African descent and the continent of Africa to their respective societies and to global development; promote research on past and present conditions of people of African descent and compile existing information on their contribution to their respective societies in order to foster the development of intercultural society from a democratic perspective, recognizing diversity and promoting knowledge and understanding of the causes and consequences of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 84d
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Support radio, television and Internet programmes about the history and cultures of people of African descent and promote more positive and inclusive representations that increase their visibility within society and challenge negative stereotypes and resultant discrimination;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 84e
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Celebrate the richness and creativity in all forms of artistic expressions by people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group encourages the General Assembly to adopt a strong, comprehensive and action-oriented document that will inform and guide the International Decade. It recommends that Member States use, to the extent possible, its proposed programme of action for the Decade, which contains practical activities to be developed at the national, regional and international levels. In particular, the programme of action should include the establishment of a permanent forum on people of African descent and the drafting of a United Nations declaration on the promotion of and full respect for the human rights of people of African descent, which will serve as a legal framework for the promotion and protection of the rights of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The principles of restorative justice should be applied in addressing access to justice for people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Guidelines should be adopted for the prevention, recording, investigation and prosecution of racist or xenophobic incidents. Guidelines should guarantee that people of African descent who are victims of acts of racism, especially women of African descent as victims of multiple forms of discrimination, receive proper treatment in police stations, so that complaints are recorded immediately, investigations are pursued without delay and in an effective, independent and impartial manner, and files relating to racist or xenophobic incidents are retained and incorporated into databases.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- Judicial remedies in cases of racial discrimination should be easily accessible, prompt, impartial, affordable and geographically accessible. Law enforcement and judicial services shall have an adequate and accessible presence in the neighbourhoods, regions, collective facilities, camps or centres where groups of people of African descent reside, so that their complaints can be expeditiously received. Accessible and youth-friendly reporting systems and services must be in place.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Measures should be adopted to eliminate sociocultural ideologies inherited from the enslavement period that perpetuate racism and racial discrimination against people of African descent and their continued invisibility at all levels of society. Programmes shall be established to preserve knowledge on the culture and history of people of African descent in museums and other forums for future generations, and efforts shall be made to encourage and support the publication and distribution of books and other print materials, as well as the broadcasting of television and radio programmes about their history and cultures. States and civil society shall work with media and communications companies to promote more positive and inclusive images and representations of people of African descent to increase their visibility within society and challenge negative stereotypes and resultant discrimination.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- A greater knowledge of and respect for the heritage and culture of people of African descent should be adopted, in particular for children and young people, through intercultural education and dialogue, awareness-raising and activities designed to protect and promote African and African-descent culture in its various manifestations. Specific plans must be in place for the ethnic recognition and visibility of people of African descent. Measures shall be adopted to preserve, protect and restore traditional knowledge and the intangible patrimony and spiritual memory of sites and places of the slave trade and slave resistance.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The rights of children and young people of African descent need to be specifically protected with regard to their identity, culture and language, in particular by promoting culturally and linguistically sensitive education policies and programmes. Actions shall be adopted to combat the indirect discrimination faced by children in education systems by removing the negative stereotypes and imagery often used in teaching materials, ensuring the inclusion of the histories and cultures of people of African descent, including the transatlantic slave trade in curriculums, and ensuring the cultural or linguistic relevance of teaching for children of African descent. Formal education at the early childhood, primary, secondary, post-secondary and adult education levels must incorporate knowledge about the history of transatlantic enslavement and the role of people of African descent in global development, and the diversity and richness of civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind. A comprehensive curriculum reform shall also tackle all forms of stereotypes.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 82g
- Paragraph text
- [States should also:] Support the study and recognition and promote greater knowledge of and respect for the history of people of African descent. All students and teachers around the world should be taught about African and African diaspora history, culture and contribution to progress, the impact throughout the time of the movement and settlement of diverse populations, as well as the nature and effects of colonialism and the slave trade, emphasizing people of African descent as survivors or resisters, while also recognizing them as victims of human rights violations under international human rights law;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 82i
- Paragraph text
- [States should also:] Ensure that national curriculums include the history of Africa before European contact in history education, in order to empower people of African descent about their past before the transatlantic slave trade. Similarly, history education should feature the liberation struggles during and after the colonial period. History education should also be about the development of world civilizations and should stress the contribution of people of African descent to global economic development, especially that of Europe. This will help the recognition of people of African descent as world actors;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 84f
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Consider proclaiming a national day in countries that do not yet have such a day, in order to celebrate the heritage, culture and contribution to the world of people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 84g
- Paragraph text
- [In recognition of the contribution of the continent of Africa and people of African descent to the development, diversity and richness of world civilizations and cultures that constitute the common heritage of humankind, States should, in collaboration with relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and international donors:] Put in place measures and procedures to prevent the media from perpetuating negative stereotypes.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 89b
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with paragraph 92 of the Durban Programme of Action, States should also:] Such statistical data should be disaggregated in accordance with domestic legislation. Any such information should, as appropriate, be collected with the explicit consent of the victims, based on their self-identification and in accordance with provisions on human rights and fundamental freedoms, such as data protection regulations and privacy guarantees. This information must not be misused. The statistical data and information should be collected with the objective of monitoring the situation of marginalized groups, and the development and evaluation of legislation, policies, practices and other measures aimed at preventing and combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as well as for the purpose of determining whether any measures have an unintentional disparate impact on victims. To that end, it recommends the development of voluntary, consensual and participatory strategies in the process of collecting, designing and using information. The information should take into account economic and social indicators, including, where appropriate, health and health status, infant and maternal mortality, life expectancy, literacy, education, employment, housing, land ownership, mental and physical health care, water, sanitation, energy and communications services, poverty and average disposable income in order to elaborate social and economic development policies with a view to closing the existing gaps in social and economic conditions;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 89d
- Paragraph text
- [In accordance with paragraph 92 of the Durban Programme of Action, States should also:] Adopt laws regulating the collection and processing of ethnic and racial data that protect fundamental freedoms, including the right to privacy, provide the necessary safeguards for protecting data from misuse, such as racial profiling and negative monitoring, and ensure confidentiality of information, in accordance with relevant regional and international standards, in particular the Guidelines for the Regulation of Computerized Personal Data Files concerning the legality, fairness, accuracy and relevance of data, purpose-specification, interested-party access, non-discrimination, security, oversight and penalties. The normative framework should be approved beforehand and lay down the following minimum conditions: the person must give explicit consent; the data collection must serve the public interest, namely, the fight against racial discrimination; and the framework must be legally binding;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 90h
- Paragraph text
- [States, through their government bodies, as well as national statistics institutes, human rights institutions and organizations for racial equality, in conformity with their mandates, should:] Carry out pre- and post-census awareness campaigns on the importance of gathering disaggregated data and disseminate results through the media. Published data should be accompanied by a careful analysis so that the information can serve as a useful tool in devising public policies for racial advancement.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group recognizes the right to education as a tool for achieving social justice for youth of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group regrets that, despite having gained independence, formerly colonized peoples are still living with the legacies of slavery and colonialism. The forced separation of Africans from their homeland has resulted in cultural and social alienation from their roots and identities. The cultural rupture caused by the transatlantic trade in Africans as well as by European colonization still has an impact on the discrimination faced by people of African descent in their search for justice.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group notes that, despite guarantees in international and national law, the prevalence of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance affects people of African descent in a unique fashion, to the point that many people of African descent are still unable to obtain remedies for wrongful acts through their domestic institutions. Structural discrimination occurs at all stages and levels of the administration of justice, inter alia in legislation, law enforcement, courts and tribunals. One of the most important challenges that people of African descent face is discriminatory treatment by the very institutions that are supposed to administer justice.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group stresses the need to address the persistence of racial discrimination among judicial and law enforcement officials, which affects the application of the law and the functioning of the criminal justice system and contributes to an unfair overrepresentation of people of African descent among persons in detention. The Working Group notes that people of African descent are often subjected to longer sentences than other individuals who have committed the same offence. The practice of racially profiling youth of African descent leaves them disproportionately policed, prosecuted, convicted and imprisoned compared to the rest of the population.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group is concerned about the torture, ill-treatment and harassment suffered by people of African descent at the hands of law enforcement officials. When the rights of people of African descent are violated, recourse to institutions of justice is often a distant possibility. Inadequate complaint mechanisms prevent young people of African descent from responding to misuse of power and discriminatory practices by the law enforcement and judicial authorities. The consequences of racial targeting are far-reaching and have both individual and collective effects.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60b
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] At the national and regional levels, an atlas mapping injustices is developed, supported by comprehensive disaggregated data. Such atlases can be the framework for dialogue in addressing the realization of fundamental rights and the protection of knowledge for vulnerable populations, including people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60g
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] Good quality and free legal aid is offered to women of African descent who are in need, so that access to justice is available to everyone. Information about legal services and legal centres should be easily available and widely distributed, especially among groups facing multiple forms of discrimination, such as women of African descent. Regular training and education should be provided to people of African descent about their legal rights and the available services;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60h
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] Guidelines are adopted for the prevention, recording, investigation and prosecution of racist or xenophobic incidents. Guidelines should guarantee that people of African descent who are victims of acts of racism, especially women of African descent who are victims of multiple forms of discrimination, receive proper treatment in police stations and that complaints are recorded immediately, investigations are pursued without delay and in an effective, independent and impartial manner, and files relating to racist or xenophobic incidents are retained and incorporated into databases;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60i
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] People of African descent can seek protection and remedies effectively, through the competent national tribunals and other State institutions, against any acts of racial discrimination, and seek just and adequate reparation or satisfaction from such tribunals for any damage suffered as a result of racial discrimination;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60j
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] Judicial remedies in cases of racial discrimination are easily accessible, prompt, impartial, affordable and geographically accessible. Law enforcement and judicial services should have an adequate and accessible presence in the neighbourhoods, regions, collective facilities, camps or centres where groups of people of African descent reside, so that their complaints can be expeditiously received. Accessible and youth-friendly reporting systems and services must be in place;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60k
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] People of African descent enjoy all the guarantees of a fair trial and equality before the law, as enshrined in the relevant international human rights instruments, and specifically the rights to presumption of innocence, assistance of counsel and an interpreter, an independent and impartial tribunal and guarantees of fair punishment, and the enjoyment of all the rights to which prisoners are entitled under the relevant international norms;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60l
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] Acts of racial discrimination are prosecuted and punished and the victims receive full reparation. The obligation to prosecute and punish should cover all material and intellectual perpetrators of the violation. Cases of racial discrimination must receive effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions and remedies, both to reduce impunity and to ensure that victims can regain the dignity of which they were deprived;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60o
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] The administration of justice and the criminal justice system are subject to permanent monitoring and adequate review in order to gauge better the existence and extent of racial discrimination. The judicial system should adopt special measures to recruit and promote people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60p
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] The criminalization of race is addressed, taking measures to eliminate the overrepresentation of young people of African descent who are subject to the criminal justice system, as well as double standards in sentencing. The racial aspects of violence and imprisonment should be recognized;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60q
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] The potential discriminatory effects of domestic legislation are eliminated, particularly of legislation on terrorism, immigration and nationality, as well as legislation that has the effect of penalizing without legitimate grounds certain groups or members of certain communities, including people of African descent, and in any case, respecting the principle of proportionality in its application;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60r
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] Measures are adopted to eliminate sociocultural ideologies inherited from the slavery period, which perpetuate racism and racial discrimination against people of African descent and their continued invisibility at all levels of society. Programmes should be established to preserve knowledge of the culture and history of people of African descent in museums and other forums for future generations, and efforts made to encourage and support the publication and distribution of books and other print materials, as well as the broadcasting of television and radio programmes, about their history and cultures. States and civil society should work with the media and communications companies to promote more positive and inclusive images and representations of people of African descent in order to increase their visibility within society and challenge negative stereotypes and resultant discrimination;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 60s
- Paragraph text
- [In order to provide equal access to justice for people of African descent and as a part of the duty of States to protect human rights, the Working Group calls upon States to guarantee that:] A greater knowledge of and respect for the heritage and culture of people of African descent are adopted, particularly for children and youth, through intercultural education and dialogue, awareness-raising and activities designed to protect and promote African culture and African-descent culture in its various manifestations. Specific plans must be in place for the ethnic recognition and visibility of people of African descent. Measures should be adopted to preserve, protect and restore traditional knowledge, and the intangible patrimony and spiritual memory of sites and places of the slave trade and slave resistance;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group urges States to adopt national action plans against racial discrimination which include special measures, based on disaggregated data, as appropriate, to address structural discrimination against people of African descent, taking into account general recommendation No. 32 (2009) on the meaning and scope of special measures in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms Racial Discrimination, adopted by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group reiterates its support for the implementation of the Programme of Action for the International Decade for People of African Descent. The Programme of Action builds on the 12 years of experience of the Working Group, the recommendations of various stakeholders and the active participation of most of the Member States and civil society and experts that attended the twelfth session of the Working Group. The Working Group recommends that its Programme of Action serve as the basis for practical activities to be developed at the national, regional and international levels during the International Decade for People of African Descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- The worldwide escalation of Afrophobia, xenophobia and related intolerance continues to be a matter of concern.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2015, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group finds that equal rights for people of African descent or Africans have yet to be attained.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group concludes that poverty is both a cause and a consequence of discrimination. Development should not be narrowly defined as economic development only, but must also include political, economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects, consistent with the Declaration on the Right to Development. The Working Group "recognizes that … historical injustices have undeniably contributed to the poverty, underdevelopment, marginalization, social exclusion, economic disparities, instability and insecurity that affect many people in different parts of the world, in particular in developing countries" and "recognizes the need to develop programmes for the social and economic development of these societies and the Diaspora, within the framework of a new partnership based on the spirit of solidarity and mutual respect" (Durban Programme of Action, para. 158), in areas such as debt relief, poverty eradication, market access and the promotion of foreign direct investment.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group points out that, despite the publication of evidence, there is still insufficient attention paid to the proven contributions of people of African descent to world development. It concludes that the role that people of African descent have played in global development must be recognized both in terms of the contribution that the African continent has historically made to worldwide development, including during the transatlantic slave trade, and the contributions that Africans and the African diaspora have made and continue to make to the contemporary world.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- In a period of economic and financial crisis, principles of participation, equality and non-discrimination should be integrated into all development activities where the realization of rights, including with respect to the fight against poverty and access to education, health, employment and political participation, are the goals of development. The Working Group also stresses that repairing the catastrophic damage done by enslavement and the slave trade would contribute to development.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The International Decade for People of African Descent is an important milestone in the struggle for the protection and promotion of the rights of people of African descent and their political, economic social and cultural development. On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Working Group recognizes the important role that the Convention and the Committee have played in protecting the rights of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group is concerned by the pervasive and distinct form of racism faced by people of African descent in employment and the labour market. Most statistical data from different parts of the world point to people of African descent and Africans as being among the most unemployed, and often subjected to racial discrimination while seeking employment. Similarly, people of African descent often lack access to quality health services and face disparities in health status as a result of racial discrimination.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group urges States to adopt measures, consistent with the Declaration on the Right to Development, aimed at guaranteeing active, free and meaningful participation of people of African descent in all political, economic, social and cultural aspects of society and in the advancement and economic development of their countries. States should promote a greater knowledge of and respect for their heritage and culture and ensure participation in development and decision-making, and in the fair distribution of benefits resulting therefrom. States should take measures to realize the right to development taking into account the need to redress historical injustices through development programmes.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group encourages Governments and international development and financial institutions to establish programmes, based on the participation of the communities concerned, aimed at improving the economic and social conditions of people of African descent. It also encourages Governments in the affected regions to use regional arrangements and organizations to address the effects of underdevelopment, which tend to have a disproportionate impact on people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Civil society should be encouraged to form national, regional and international networks to share learning, experiences and good practices, raise awareness of the situation of people of African descent and carry out joint advocacy and development initiatives, and develop capacity-building programmes intended for people of African descent with a particular focus on developing leadership skills. Civil society is also encouraged to increase its cooperation with the Working Group.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In the context of the International Decade for People of African Descent, the Working Group urges Governments, financial and development institutions and the funds and programmes and specialized agencies of the United Nations, in accordance with their regular budgets and the procedures of their governing bodies, to assign particular priority, and allocate sufficient funding, within their areas of competence and budgets, to improving the situation of Africans and people of African descent, while devoting special attention to the needs of these populations in developing countries, inter alia through the preparation of specific programmes of action for the implementation of the programme of activities of the Decade.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group encourages Governments, with the assistance of specialized agencies and international development and financial institutions as appropriate, to collect and compile reliable statistical data on the political, economic and social conditions of people of African descent and to disseminate such information widely, not only in order to undertake specific development projects but also to empower all stakeholders in the fight to improve the situation of these people.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- Consistent with existing human rights commitments, States should also address poverty alleviation that eliminates racial discrimination, including through the implementation of development initiatives aimed at realizing the rights of people of African descent, in a manner appropriate to their culture and identity; ensure the full, active and meaningful participation of people of African descent throughout development programme cycles; and adopt measures to preserve, protect and restore the traditional knowledge of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- States should take concrete measures to eliminate racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in the workplace against all workers, in particular Africans and people of African descent, including migrants and women, and ensure the full equality of all before the law, including labour law. States should ensure that workers' rights of people of African descent, including those relating to fair and equal wages, are protected, by increasing the effectiveness of legislation that prohibits all discriminatory practices in employment and the labour market that affect people of African descent, including through the implementation of special measures to promote the employment of people of African descent in public administration, as well as in private companies, including affirmative action policies such as quota systems.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- States should take all the measures necessary to give effect to the right of people of African descent, particularly children and young people, to free primary education and access to all levels and forms of quality public education without discrimination. Measures should be taken to increase the number of teachers of African descent working in educational institutions. The Working Group also urges States to take steps aimed at removing negative stereotypes and imagery in teaching materials, by promoting more inclusive education systems, and to take measures to reduce the school dropout rate for children of African descent, with greater support and attention to families and ensuring that curricula are accessible, culturally relevant, providing education in their own language and promoting their cultural heritage, where necessary. States must implement their human rights obligations regarding the content of education.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- States should implement special measures to ensure people of African descent have access to necessary housing services, by involving communities of people of African descent as partners in housing project construction, rehabilitation and maintenance and taking measures to ensure legal security of tenure, availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure, affordability, habitability, accessibility, location and cultural adequacy, and prevent the forced eviction of people of African descent from their homes in both urban and rural contexts. The Working Group also urges States, in accordance with international human rights standards and their respective domestic legal frameworks, to resolve problems of ownership of ancestral lands, inhabited for generations by indigenous people and by people of African descent and illegally expropriated by colonial rulers.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Development and people of African descent 2015, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group urges States to incorporate a gender perspective in all programmes of action against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. States, international organizations, NGOs and the private sector should consult and involve women of African descent, through a participatory and inclusive approach, in the processes and decisions relating to the elaboration and implementation of programmes and plans aimed at their social development. States should ensure that development paradigms focus on equity and equality, where issues of gender, masculinity and femininity ultimately become issues of human rights and human dignity.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2016, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The blackface phenomenon, which portrays people of African descent in a negative light, remains a global concern. It dehumanizes people of African descent and attacks their dignity and rights. The contemporary manifestation of blackface is indicative of the increasing prevalence of racial stereotypes. Among other things, it is a product of past inhumane practices such as enslavement, colonialism and apartheid. It was perpetrated by Jim Crow and nurtured by those who refused to acknowledge that people of African descent were victims of slavery, the slave trade, colonialism and apartheid.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Ignorance of the world and of Africans does not help efforts to address the matter of stereotyping. There is a failure to consider the African perspective and a lack of an awareness of the African contribution to society. A purist attitude prevents a more inclusive society that is open to diversity. A history of colonization has also introduced values that do not take into account the African view of the world. Global media in its pervasiveness has reinforced such values, which give little importance to African characteristics.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2016, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group country visits and allegations received under the communication procedure show how structures based on racial bias or discrimination, including, racial phenotypes, still have a lasting and detrimental effect on Africans and people of African descent in the diaspora. This legacy must be addressed in an open dialogue in order to understand and address the roots of racial tensions and discrimination in society. In certain societies, the invisibility of people of African descent on account of policy assimilation prevents different forms of intolerance from being addressed appropriately. The collection of disaggregated data along ethnic lines based on voluntary self-identification is an important starting point in the conversation of identifying the disparities between, and addressing the human rights of, people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group is ready to continue actively participating in the International Decade for People of African Descent and to assist stakeholders and strengthen partnerships between Governments, civil society, Africans and people of African descent in order to fully implement the programme of activities. The Working Group calls on States and civil society to hold joint launchings of the International Decade in their own countries and to adopt positive measures to accelerate the process of its implementation. As part of this process, States are urged to also address the negative racial stereotypes and the blackface phenomenon that people of African descent face. Criminal sanctions must be imposed not just for hate speech, but also for stereotyping. Furthermore, as with hate speech, stereotyping ought to provide a basis for damages. Administrative sanctions should also be imposed for words and images that amount not just to hate speech, but also to stereotyping.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2016, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group recognizes that without the essential contribution of civil society, non-governmental organizations and academics, the fight against racism, racial discrimination, Afrophobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia and related intolerance will remain invisible. The link between their work, States and various United Nations mechanisms must be strengthened and made visible by joint equitable partnerships. There must be increased support for civil society engagement with States and the United Nations.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group concludes that the promotion and protection of the human rights of people of African descent should be a matter of prioritized concern for States. The interlinkages, interrelationship and interdependence between the three pillars of the International Decade for People of African Descent (recognition, justice and development) are inextricable, and the programme of activities of the International Decade should be seen as a whole and no parts of it neglected or minimized.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group welcomes the achievements of the 2001 World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, including the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the political consensus reached on the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade. Together, these documents recognize that people of African descent have for centuries been victims of racism and racial discrimination, and provide a strong framework for combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, Afrophobia and related intolerance faced by people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- The systemic discrimination and the construction of structural and institutional invisibility faced by people of African descent stem from the fact that their history and their contributions to the development of civilization are not properly documented, and are at times rewritten, falsified and not made known to all. The administration of justice is an important way of eliciting the truth. Furthermore, for the full development of people of African descent, there must be recognition, justice and development.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- Justice includes the totality of reparations, incorporating elements of restitution, compensation and satisfaction. In this light, the Ten-Point Action Plan CARICOM is seen by the Working Group as a creative way of weaving together different elements of reparatory justice. Apology, repatriation, indigenous people's development, cultural institutions such as museums and research centres, public health initiatives, literacy, African knowledge programmes, technology transfer and debt cancellation, are among the points raised in this action plan.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group welcomes some States' and civil society's positive response to its plans aimed at looking into the programmes and policies of financial and development institutions from the perspective of people of African descent. The Working Group will take into consideration the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, the Working Group will focus on the areas referred to in its mandate - investments in health systems, education, housing, electricity, drinking water and environmental control measures and promoting equal opportunities in employment - as well as other affirmative or positive measures and strategies within the human rights framework.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group recognizes that some States have launched the International Decade and have taken steps to add chapters on African history and the transatlantic trade in Africans to primary-level textbooks. While the Working Group welcomes examples of good practices, there is a pressing need to intensify efforts in order to ensure that all States and regions are involved in the full implementation of the programme of activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent, including the provisions of General Assembly resolution 69/16 calling for the establishment of a forum and the drafting of a United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group calls upon States to fund and support, at the national level, programmes for the International Decade. At the international level, the Working Group calls upon States to contribute without further delay to the Trust Fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. The Working Group calls upon States to fund civil-society activities in the context of the International Decade and the participation of civil society in Working Group sessions.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Interlinkages between recognition, justice and development 2016, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group encourage States, civil society and other relevant actors to actively oppose negative stereotyping of people of African descent on the basis of ethnicity, religion and origin, with a specific focus on hate speech and incitement to hatred through media and political statements. The Working Group suggests the adoption of measures to prohibit and sanction the use of negative stereotyping. Furthermore, positive steps should be taken to create a space for the African perspective, one that will enable a more informed view.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- Over the centuries and across the world, myths about albinism have been developed and have taken deep root in various cultures. Widespread and long-term ignorance about the condition has given birth to myths, some of them age-old and most of them erroneous. Such myths can be found in various regions of the world, as evidenced in the pejorative names used for persons with albinism across cultures and continents, including "dry pigeon peas", "ghost", "chicken", "strange being", "monkey", "fake white man", "goat" or the "devil in person".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- Some myths seek to explain albinism and address the reason why a person has the condition. Others attribute specific powers to persons with albinism, demonstrating fear of the unknown and the desire to distance oneself from them. Another group of myths presents ostracism, exclusion and discrimination against persons with albinism as a natural necessity. A number of these myths are highly concerning, as they seek to strip persons with albinism of their humanity and represent them as a means to an end as opposed to an end in themselves.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Albinism is a condition that results in a significant or near total lack of pigmentation in any or all of the skin, hair and eyes. The most significant human rights issues have emerged from myths linked to the form of albinism involving a lack of pigmentation in the skin. This is also the most visible form of albinism. All forms of albinism are together understood as rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited and occurring in both sexes, regardless of ethnicity, in all countries of the world. However, in most communities around the world, albinism is not fully understood.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Myths about albinism include the belief that a child with albinism is a curse meted out on the mother or family of the child. It is also sometimes believed that children with albinism are the result of their family's or parent's evildoing and they are therefore considered a punishment to the whole family and community. In most cases, the blame for having a child with albinism is often attributed to the mother because the curse is believed to be matrilineal, transmitted by the mother's side of the family. There are also beliefs that women who give birth to children with albinism are unclean, or even in some cases witches. A similar myth is that the mother of a child with albinism stepped onto something evil, leading to a curse on the whole family.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Further, it is also sometimes believed that albinism can be contracted by being in contact with albinism. The same myth is extended to things that have been touched by persons with albinism. There are also beliefs that if a pregnant woman looks at a person with albinism, even unintendedly, her unborn child will be born with albinism, unless she spits to neutralize the "curse". Persons spit at the person with albinism, on the floor, inside their shirts or on their stomachs in the case of pregnant women. One mother of a child with albinism reported that she gave birth to a child with albinism for having herself stared too hard at a person with albinism while fetching water during her pregnancy.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Infants
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- Other myths seek an explanation in existing traditional beliefs associated with childbirth. It has been reported, for example, that the birth of children with albinism could be linked to the "snake inside the woman" turning away from that pregnancy. The snake is considered the protector of the pregnancy, monitoring it. Other explanations are that a child born with albinism was conceived when a woman had intercourse while she was menstruating. Further, some mythological beliefs seek to explain the condition by advancing that the mother of the child with albinism was struck by lightning or that albinism occurs when a mother does not consume enough salt in her diet.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Infants
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 11
- Paragraph text
- The lack of understanding of the condition is also illustrated by myths that persons with albinism cannot have children who do not have albinism, or that they are sterile. Furthermore, it is often believed that persons with albinism can only be found within one`s proximate race; consequently, the worldwide status of the condition is often not generally known. This narrow understanding of the frequency of albinism feeds into myths which present the condition as a particular problem supernaturally aimed at specific women and families.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- It is evident that none of these myths are true, yet they demonstrate the lack of understanding of the genetic nature of albinism. This absence of scientific knowledge and the resort to myths to provide explanations concerning albinism lead to discrimination against persons with albinism and their families, mothers in particular. However, this should not lead to the conclusion that public education alone will eradicate these myths. Evidence shows that even where the truth and the scientific basis of albinism are known, they can co-exist with myths. Scientific explanations of the origins of albinism can answer the question "why?". But they fail to answer particular, localized and personal questions such as "why in this particular person?" and "why at this particular time and place?". The inability of science to answer these questions means that many turn to explanations proposed by supernatural beliefs such as witchcraft, and its practitioners, also known as witchdoctors.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- There is also the myth that intercourse with female persons with albinism can cure infertility, sexually transmitted infections and, in particular, HIV/AIDS. This has led to the rape and forced prostitution of women and girls with albinism, some of whom end up contracting various infections. Cases have been reported of young girls with albinism being prostituted by their family to customers who thereby expect to be cured of HIV/AIDS. It is believed that cases of this sort are underreported owing to various factors, including a pre-existing context of myth-led discrimination against persons with albinism, the stigma of reporting rape and the likelihood of further abuse. Such lack of reporting is bound to aggravate the already oppressed and disenfranchised situation of women and girls with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- Beliefs that attribute supernatural qualities to persons with albinism serve only to dehumanize them. Such beliefs deify or demonize persons with albinism, and present as natural the exclusion, stigma and discrimination they face. This is the case, for example, in the widespread myth that persons with albinism do not die, but simply disappear. This myth is particularly disturbing because it justifies any sudden and inexplicable disappearance of a person with albinism from his or her community. This belief poses a strong risk to persons with albinism by proactively providing an acceptable explanation to the community for the disappearance of a person with albinism after an attack. Further, the existence of such a myth supports the hypothesis that violations of the life and security of persons with albinism predate the contemporary attention given to the issue.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The myth that persons with albinism naturally have a short lifespan is also prevalent. It appears to supply an explanation for the relatively high frequency of early deaths among persons with albinism. Such early deaths, which particularly correlate with the myth that persons with albinism disappear, also appear to be strongly linked to the prevalence of skin cancer and the high number of early to midlife fatalities recorded among them on account of this preventable disease. There is an urgent need to address this disease through the provision of both preventive and curative measures that are accessible and affordable or free, particularly in rural areas.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, myths that persons with albinism are destined to experience poor fortune and cannot do well in life are also a reflection of the discrimination they face on a daily basis. Unfortunately, too often, given the myth-driven historical context of discrimination, there is a disproportionately small number of persons with albinism able to disprove this myth with the example of their lives. Other beliefs, that persons with albinism are unable to learn or are mentally challenged, illustrate the particular discrimination they face regarding access to education, including persistent bullying and the absence of reasonable accommodation for the vision impairment that is often part of albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- There are rare cases where persons with albinism are deified or viewed as having godlike qualities. For example, the Guna people in Latin America give a special place to persons with albinism as protectors. Tales of persons with albinism being considered as water deities or as natural chiefs have also been reported. While deification and positive supernaturalization of persons with albinism may appear to be desirable, this is not an ideal state because the person with albinism is still the subject of myths unfounded on fact or science. Consequently, their dignity remains grounded in subjective narratives and not in their objective status as human beings.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- In addition, such fear of contagion can be extended to objects touched by persons with albinism. In the words of a person with albinism, "some people will not touch what I touch. In the bus no one wants to sit next to me. People don't want to shake hands with me, share utensils, touch me or come near". Similarly, another person with albinism reported that people refuse to share a taxi with him. Further, as a result of such beliefs, people are sometimes reluctant to eat any food that has been touched by persons with albinism. This is particularly stigmatizing in a context where persons eat from a common pot. It also raises difficulties for persons with albinism working at markets, as customers may prefer other sellers.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Family members, friends and service providers are not immune to the practice of self-distancing from persons with albinism. This is illustrated by the following testimony of a person with albinism: "my mother distances herself from me … I had girlfriends who preferred to quietly meet me away from the public. You go to a party; they won't want to dance with you". Similarly, it was reported that, in certain cases, nurses and other medical professionals, including physicians, were reluctant to touch or treat patients with albinism. In such a context, it is not uncommon that persons with albinism self-limit their interactions within the community and shy away from attending school.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Community support and integration have been identified as key protection measures for persons with albinism. Therefore, excluding and ostracizing persons with albinism have a direct impact on their safety and make them more vulnerable to attacks. Ostracized and physically distanced, those who are in most dire need of protection are rendered more vulnerable. The exclusion of mothers of children with albinism by their family and community throws them into deep poverty. Not only are these women physically distanced from others, they tend to live in insecure homes, which leaves them easy prey to perpetrators of attacks. They are often left exposed to attacks where no one will respond in time, or at all, to their call for help.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Such stories have also been reported in contemporary times. Village folklore describes how mothers are advised by midwives to sit on their babies or asphyxiate them at birth if they have albinism. In other cases, it seems that the child is left to die, with no food. Similarly, it has been reported that children with albinism have been instantly killed at birth for fear of the shame attached to the condition, or because of a belief that they bring bad luck. Other folklore describes practices such as drowning children with albinism in a lake or placing babies with albinism at the exit gate of a cow pen, where they are left to die from being trampled on by cattle. Still other folklore recounts the ritual killing of children with albinism, who have been accused of being witches, by putting them in bags and smashing the bags against a tree.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Infants
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The Witchcraft and Human Rights Information Network stresses that there is no universally accepted definition of witchcraft and the term means different things to different people in different places. Primarily witchcraft can be seen as a negative, malevolent force which is used by people in the spirit realm to bring about harm in the physical realm. In 1974, Marc Augé defined witchcraft as "a set of beliefs, structured and shared by a given population, that addresses the origin of misfortune, illness and death, and a set of practices for detection, treatment and punishment that corresponds to these beliefs".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- Some countries with a record of attacks against persons with albinism have identified as a major problem the ambiguity between witchcraft on the one hand and the practice of traditional, herbal or alternative medicine on the other. This is further complicated by the secrecy surrounding witchcraft and the resulting difficulty in identifying its real practitioners in all cases. These matters raise the question of whether and how these occupations ought to be defined and regulated as a means of preventing human rights violations allegedly and actually committed by their practitioners. There is also the issue of whether witchcraft beliefs should be given any form of legal character or recognition when it is largely a supernatural phenomenon. Often, these issues are further complicated by the fact that many legal instruments addressing witchcraft are outdated and disconnected from current social realities.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- In the 26 countries where attacks against persons with albinism have been reported to date, all of which are in sub-Saharan Africa, belief in witchcraft and witchcraft practices have been reported, including by civil society and the media. The beliefs do not seem constrained by socioeconomic class, level of education or location; both urban and rural areas are affected. Witchcraft beliefs and practices are referred to in everyday conversation, and they seem to be socially accepted means of handling issues, providing explanations for unusual occurrences or establishing responsibility in cases of misfortune. Witchcraft beliefs and practices are also used to justify accusations stemming from envy, hatred, vengeance and other similar vice. Belief in witchcraft allows people to make sense of their seemingly arbitrary misfortune and to blame a particular person. This blame is often targeted at persons in one's immediate social circle, after consultation with a witchdoctor.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Various authors have emphasized the continued reliance on witchcraft in many African societies and the necessity to take the phenomenon into account to fully understand the contemporary social context. It has also been reported that, despite opposition by religious leaders, access to basic education, and the enactment of legislation criminalizing witchcraft accusations and some forms of practice, witchcraft still remains embedded in society. It remains attractive to a significant number of people as it promises a holistic explanation for human hardships, including by linking socioeconomic misfortunes to other apparent "misfortunes", such as the birth of a child with albinism in a family.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- The vast majority of attacks against persons with albinism have been carried out in order to harvest body parts. There are beliefs that drinking the blood of persons with albinism gives extra magical power or that it has magical properties and brings prosperity and good luck. Fingers of persons with albinism are reportedly worn as necklaces and amulets. Bones of persons with albinism are used to successfully mine for gold and other desirable minerals. Hands of persons with albinism are burned to ashes and mixed in a paste to cure strokes; blood of persons with albinism is used to boost vitality and intellectual capacity, as well as for political power and business. Hair has been touted as useful for agriculture. Genitals, breasts and placentas are used to cure infertility and create good luck.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Further witchcraft beliefs are that placing the skull of a person with albinism in the foundation of a new building will bring luck to the building, that burying body parts in key places on a farm ensures big harvests and that inserting the hand of a person with albinism into the entrances of shops encourages customers to come. It was also reported that fishermen weave hair of persons with albinism into their nets or use the skin of persons with albinism to brush their nets to enhance fishing. Body parts are also sought after for protection, for example against plane crashes. It is also believed that body parts can protect one against witches and that burying a body part of a person with albinism in one's house will keep witches away.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- A witness reported: "witchdoctors told me that they kill persons with albinism and use their organs to make magic potions for their clients who want to become rich and successful". Similarly, a witchdoctor admitted to the use of bones of persons with albinism after being instructed by his ancestors, stating that "good witchcraft is when one uses organs of a dead person with albinism" while "bad witchcraft is when one kills a person with albinism for their body parts". In another interview, a witchdoctor explained that "from their hair to their bones, albinos are sought after. When we hear that an albino has died somewhere, we try to find out where he has been buried in order to recover some parts which are really important to help us … we even kill albinos because we need certain parts of their bodies". In addition to attacks against persons with albinism, such witchcraft beliefs have often led to the desecration of their graves.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft beliefs and practices as they relate to albinism have essentially capitalized on a myth-riddled situation, to the benefit of practitioners and willing believers. Further, the relative rarity of body parts of persons with albinism has been capitalized upon by the witchcraft beliefs which proffer that the body parts can attract equally rare minerals, such as gold or diamonds. The same argument with regard to rarity appears to have informed the market value of body parts, such that "the albino fetish has become the most expensive charm because it is perceived as harnessing spirits that are far more powerful than … a waganga [witchdoctor/traditional healer] could otherwise offer".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Civil society reports nearly 500 cases of attacks against persons with albinism across 26 countries. They include various forms of attack, including physical assault, murder and sexual violence tied to witchcraft beliefs and practices. In relation to the relatively small numbers of persons with albinism, usually in the single digits of thousands to tens of thousands per country, this number of cases is highly concerning. Moreover, these are reported cases alone. Civil society activists on the issue believe far more cases go unreported owing to family collusion and the secrecy surrounding witchcraft practices.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The Human Development Index, which is a strong indicator of poverty and correlating factors, showed in 2014 that of the 26 countries where attacks have been reported, 20 were listed as countries with a low human development coefficient; the other six affected countries were listed in the medium human development category. That said, it is noteworthy that, overall, the affected countries had a level of income inequality that ranged from relative equality to relative inequality, with a GINI coefficient range of 30.8 to 63.9, the average for all 26 countries being 44.3.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- In a context of poverty, and in view of the reported black market value of body parts of persons with albinism, the perceived possibility of becoming rich quickly is a strong incentive for attacks. Perpetrators recruited to abduct or kill a person with albinism, or informants revealing where persons with albinism live, are often promised a sum of money. Similarly, traditional healers or herbalists in a difficult economic context may be tempted to take advantage of myths and witchcraft beliefs concerning albinism to go beyond using herbs and animal body parts to using body parts of persons with albinism to attract a higher price for their services.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- The marginalization of, discrimination against and exclusion of persons with albinism or their parents, particularly mothers, often means that they are not supported by the community in times of need, are sometimes excluded from economic programmes or benefits, and are unable to rely on relatives and other similar social networks that often cushion economic hardship. The results of such exclusion include poverty, lack of education and corollary issues of unemployment, poor housing and ill health. These factors render them hyper-vulnerable to abuse and attacks, because perpetrators are aware of their disenfranchisement and their lack of resources and redress in the face of crime committed against them.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Fear of attacks has also worsened the economic situation of persons with albinism who are not able to cultivate their land, go to the marketplace or initiate economic activity in freedom. The same can be said of parents of children with albinism, who often have to curtail their economic activity to accommodate the need to watch over their children day and night and to escort them to and from school. This strain on family economics increases the likelihood that a child with albinism will be viewed as a burden or curse on the family. This in turn increases the child`s vulnerability to attacks initiated or facilitated by family members.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- In addition to Miguel's correlation of income and witchcraft, it has also been documented that there can be a plausible link between the surge in occult practices, including witchcraft, and the pressures and opportunities people are faced with in a changing socioeconomic order. A study of specific mining towns where the use of body parts of persons with albinism in lucky charms has been documented indicates that the cumulative influx of a large number of migrant miners, generational and cultural divides within the local villages, and the social change propelled by the rapid focus on mineral extraction for income in the local economy are among the factors which triggered a symbiotic relationship between miners seeking luck and comparative advantage in their work on the one hand and the witchdoctor on the other hand.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft is therefore, at least in part, a means of reconciling the traditional with the modern, the former promising to answer questions deemed unanswered by the latter. However the explanations provided by witchcraft are often not grounded on fact but are based on myths and pre-existing beliefs, for which the witchdoctor has a solution at a price. The situation bears strong elements of fraud. To the extent that it solves socioeconomic problems, at best, it supplies only a limited form of social justice and equity as it fails to address the real causes of problems and ultimately leads people to resign themselves to their "misfortunes" instead of accurately understanding and resolving them.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The appearance of persons with albinism makes them stand out, particularly in environments where the majority of the population have darker pigmentation and the contrast between the two groups is stark. Persons with albinism are therefore a visible minority group whose appearance and colouring has made them subjects of instantaneous discrimination. Their stigma, the lifelong social exclusion and general discrimination they face, is a similar experience to that of vulnerable racial minorities because of their skin colour. This factor leaves open the possibility of addressing this root cause under laws prohibiting "racial discrimination" on the "ground" of "colour".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Lack of information about the need for special sun protection for persons with albinism, who lack natural protective pigment, is highly detrimental. The absence of access to sunscreen lotions or sun-protective clothing, as well as lack of adequate, affordable and accessible medical care, leaves persons with albinism highly vulnerable to skin cancer. It is not uncommon for persons with albinism to die of skin cancer before the age of 40 and for children younger than age 5 to present with pre-cancerous lesions. These health issues, in tandem with discrimination, poverty and lack of education, are amongst the factors responsible for the very high number of skin cancer fatalities among persons with albinism in sun-intense countries.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Lack of public education on albinism is closely linked to widespread myths regarding the condition. This is why the need for sustained awareness-raising initiatives on the issue cannot be overstated. That said, awareness-raising and public education initiatives cannot replace concrete action, but ought to be carried out as part of a broader action plan such as the one being developed at the African regional level. Education of persons with albinism about their condition and their rights is also necessary to counter myths and misbeliefs.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- Further, there is a need to formally educate persons with albinism because such a person becomes a role model and demystifies misbeliefs about the condition. However, there remains the challenge of discrimination at schools, which is linked to ongoing myths and ignorance on the part of both students and teachers alike. Moreover, the lack of support and reasonable accommodation, including the provision of low vision devices, for persons with albinism remains a substantive barrier to education. These issues have led many children with albinism to stop their education. School dropout has a particularly severe impact on children with albinism because it destroys their chances of finding work indoors, which in turn exposes them to poverty and skin cancer, conditions paving the way to early death due to ritual attacks and skin cancer respectively.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- The characterization of persons with albinism in films and literature has largely been belittling, negative and caricature-peddling. Although there is reason to be optimistic on the basis of new trends in the past five years, there remains a lot of work to be done because "modern movies, novels, television programs, etc. still insist on using albinism for its shock value…¸ rather than present the facts about the condition since these do not lend themselves to an interesting story. Storytellers choose to use the physical appearance of albinism to invent their own fantasies, and expose their own superstitions and fears" [about the condition]. It has also been reported that the Nigerian film industry, by similarly portraying persons with albinism and normalizing witchcraft, contributes to the spreading of myths and encourages resort to witchdoctors in times of misfortune or hardship.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The mass media has also been accused of fuelling attacks by irresponsible reporting of the issue. Critics argue that the publishing of prices for body parts could create an incentive for attacks where none previously existed. They point out best practices from reports on drug trafficking whereby some media refuse to publish the market value of drugs confiscated by police so that potential drug traffickers are not tempted by reading about it. While there are no studies establishing a correlation between increased media attention on the issue and increased attacks, it is unreasonable to completely deny the possibility that the publishing of alleged prices of body parts may incentivize profiteers.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- The proportion of reported cases that have been prosecuted is small. This is due to the interplay of several factors, including lack of resources and specialization on the part of law enforcement, such as the absence of electronic databases and the need for enhanced forensic capacity. Similarly, where investigation has an international element, such as cross-border trafficking of persons or body parts, complications often arise, highlighting the lack of international law enforcement cooperation. Such factors are detrimental to a coherent judicial response. Police corruption has also been reported as a factor in the unwillingness to prosecute cases.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Aside from by a small, though growing, number of civil society organizations, insufficient attention is being paid to research and documentation of cases of attack and discrimination against persons with albinism. This paucity can be attributed in part to the fact that the human rights issues faced by persons with albinism have come to the attention of States and the international community only recently. While the primary duty of documenting crimes and ensuring justice for victims belongs to the State, the indispensable supplementary work of civil society in this regard remains crucial. However, a majority of non-governmental organizations focusing on the issue are relatively new, continue to face resource shortages and are still developing their capacity to carry out research and robustly engage with relevant national, regional and international mechanisms.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert makes the following recommendations to States affected by attacks against persons with albinism:] [Legal action] Consider regulating the practice of traditional medicine where ambiguity exists, in practice, between witchcraft on the one hand and traditional, herbal or alternative medicine on the other. Such regulation might include an effective monitoring mechanism that reaches rural, remote and border areas, particularly where attacks against persons with albinism have been reported;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert makes the following recommendations to States affected by attacks against persons with albinism:] [Health intervention] Improve access to health care for persons with albinism, with particular focus on affordable or free sun protection products and skin cancer treatment. Such a health programme ought to be accessible to persons in rural or remote areas at little or no cost to them. The training of community health nurses and the use of mobile clinics have been identified as best practices in this regard;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert also recommends that the international community continue to support States and civil society working on this issue, including through capacity-building, particularly in the area of investigative research and forensic science. Another key area needing support is the implementation of protective measures, including those already identified by a multiplicity of stakeholders, including persons with albinism from various countries of the African region, at the recently concluded Consultative Forum: Action on Albinism in Africa.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited condition that affects people worldwide regardless of ethnicity or gender. It results from a significant deficit in the production of melanin and is characterized by the partial or complete absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes. In order for a person to be affected by albinism, both parents must carry the gene and, in that case, there is a 25 per cent chance that a child will be born with albinism at each pregnancy. The proportion of persons affected by albinism in the world differs from region to region. For example, in North America and Europe, it is estimated that 1 in 17,000 to 20,000 people are affected by the condition, while in sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 5,000 to 15,000 could be affected, with specific countries having a much higher tendency, including estimated rates of 1 in 1,400, and about 1 in 20 persons in the general population carrying the gene for albinism. Other studies suggest that in specific groups in Panama or in the Pacific region, the rate of people affected could be as high as 1 in 70 to 1 in 125.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- There are different types of albinism. The most common and visible type is oculocutaneous albinism (OCA), which affects the skin, the hair and the eyes. Within this type, there are subtypes, which reflect varying degrees of melanin pigment deficiency in an individual. The main subtypes of OCA are tyrosinase negative albinism (OCA1) and tyrosinase positive albinism (OCA2). In OCA1, there is little or no production of melanin and it is often characterized by white hair and opaque or transparent irises. In the more prevalent, particularly in African countries, OCA2, some melanin is produced and it is characterized by yellow-blonde or sandy-coloured hair and grey to light brown irises. A less common form of albinism is ocular albinism which affects the eyes alone, while albinism accompanied by Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome is another less common form, which is characterized by bleeding disorders, bowel (colitis) and lung diseases.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Persons with albinism face discrimination and barriers that restrict their participation in society on an equal basis with others every day. Due to those many challenges, persons with albinism throughout the world are unable to enjoy the full range of human rights and the same standards of equality, rights and dignity as others. While some of those challenges are global, others have predominantly been identified in certain regions. There are legal and policy foundations to most of the human rights violations faced by persons with albinism, however, they have not yet been consolidated and there are no specific instruments or guidelines on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism - a gap that the Independent Expert wishes to address in consultation with stakeholders.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- As an initial step, the mandate holder will outline, in broad strokes, some of the obstacles with which persons with albinism are confronted. The obstacles identified constitute the main areas of concern and priorities of the mandate holder and include human rights violations such as attacks, desecration of graves, trafficking of body parts, displacement, discrimination against persons with albinism, as well as human rights violations based on disabilities, challenges in the right to the highest attainable standard of health and the right to education. The Independent Expert would also like to draw attention to the particularly concerning situation of women and children with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- It has been widely reported and documented that persons with albinism are hunted and physically attacked due to prevailing myths such as the misbelief that their body parts, when used in witchcraft rituals and potions or amulets, will induce wealth, good luck and political success. Other dangerous myths that facilitate the perpetration of attacks are those linked to perceptions of their appearance, including misbeliefs and myths that persons with albinism are not human beings, but ghosts, that they are subhuman and that they do not die, but disappear. An increase of those attacks, referred to as "ritual attacks", has been reported by civil society during periods of political elections.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against persons with albinism and corollary issues of displacement and trafficking in body parts violate the right to life, the right to security of person and the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, as enshrined in various international human rights treaties. As reported by OHCHR, whether any particular ritual killing or attack against persons with albinism is attributable to a State agent needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Nevertheless, the State violates its obligation to ensure the right to life and the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment by failing to take appropriate measures to prevent, investigate, prosecute, punish or redress.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 18
- Paragraph text
- In response to the issue, several treaty bodies have called for immediate action to end the attacks. These include the Human Rights Committee, which recommended that affected States strengthen efforts to halt attacks on the physical integrity of persons with albinism, ensure the conduct of timely investigations and strengthen awareness-raising campaigns. Similarly, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Committee on the Right of Persons with Disabilities and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in reiterating the right to life and non-discrimination, have called for immediate action to end such attacks. In their resolutions, the Human Rights Council and the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights have also called for immediate action to stop attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 20
- Paragraph text
- The appearance that ensues in albinism, in particular the lack of melanin in the skin, eyes and hair, exposes tens of thousands of persons to stigma and discrimination across the world. It is reported that, in Africa, attacks directed at persons with albinism are usually carried out with machetes, resulting in severe mutilation or death. In most cases, the persons attacked are dismembered; body parts such as fingers, arms, legs, eyes, genitals, skin, bones, the head and hair have been severed from the body and taken. In several of those cases, body parts have been hacked off while the person was alive. Reportedly, there is a corollary witchcraft belief that it is preferable to harvest body parts from live victims because screams increase the potency of the potion for which the parts are used. Possible human sacrifices of persons with albinism have also been reported, including through immolation.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- It has been reported that there is a market for body parts of persons with albinism. The body parts are reportedly sold both locally and across borders. The prices of body parts reportedly range from $2,000 for a limb to $75,000 for a "complete set" or a corpse. Civil society reports indicate that, motivated by those prices, family members and communities have sold, or attempted to sell, persons with albinism, thereby fuelling the supply side of this macabre trade. The prices also indicate the involvement of wealthy individuals as they stand in sharp contrast to the average annual income per capita reported in the affected regions. Given the underground nature of this trade, further study is needed to assess its scope and extent and, on that basis, to identify effective measures.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- In addition, as a protection measure, children have been transported to shelters, including police stations, schools or centres built for other needs, such as for people living with leprosy. Most of these shelters were neither designed nor prepared for an influx of persons with albinism, nor are they equipped to address the special needs of persons with albinism. Reports show that inhabitants with albinism are exposed to early skin cancer risk and various forms of abuse. Furthermore, as pointed out by the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee in its study on the situation of human rights of persons living with albinism, an assessment by the OHCHR field presence of the situation of displaced persons with albinism in Burundi showed the precarious security situation of some of them and the negative impact of the measure on the right to an adequate standard of living.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- In so-called Western countries, persons with albinism face the effects of entrenched misconceptions and misunderstandings of the condition. Discrimination through mockery or bullying of school-age children owing to their appearance has been reported. Given the relative rarity of albinism, popular culture, such as movies (a majority of which depict albinism negatively), are often the sole source of information on the condition for the majority of the population, fuelling widespread misconceptions and misunderstanding of the condition.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In the Pacific Islands, it has been reported that people with albinism suffer comparable human rights-related issues with regard to lack of access to information and support for health conditions, vision problems and cultural isolation. There is little verified information on the human rights situation of persons with albinism in Asia, South America and the Caribbean. The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee stressed that the absence of information on albinism in other regions should not be interpreted to mean that there is no problem of discrimination, stigmatization and violence in those regions. Lack of sufficient knowledge remains a significant barrier to tackling discrimination, stigmatization and violence.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination, stigma and bullying of persons with albinism owing to their appearance have been reported in all regions of the world, to varying degrees. Such discrimination has been described as discrimination based on skin tone or shade, including within the same ethnic group. While discrimination based on skin colour is an everyday reality for most persons with albinism, discourse on discrimination based on colour has rarely been applied to albinism. This is for various reasons such as the lack of visibility of albinism, until very recently, the lack of understanding of what persons with albinism experience and lastly, but perhaps most significantly, strong historical ties of racial discrimination discourse to race or ethnicity. Yet, there is potential to address albinism under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, as the governing concept is not "race" but "racial discrimination", which may be based on any of five "grounds": race, colour, descent, national origin and ethnic origin.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Legal frameworks for the enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities, including the Convention, could address issues faced by persons with albinism on the basis of their vision impairment. The Convention in particular identifies areas where adaptations have to be made so that persons with disabilities can fully enjoy their human rights, including access to education, employment, information and health care. Furthermore, the Convention has established as principles respect for inherent dignity, equality of opportunity, full and effective participation and inclusion in society and non-discrimination. On that basis, urgent measures could be implemented to address pressing issues relating to the visual impairment of persons with albinism. However, those measures would need to be combined with other measures designed to address other forms of discrimination faced by persons with albinism as well as to address attacks and to ensure access to health care.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- One of the most serious health implications of albinism is the vulnerability to skin cancer. Skin cancer remains a life-threatening condition for most persons with albinism. Statistics on the issue are mostly from Africa and they indicate a worrying trend. Some reports indicate that most persons with albinism die from skin cancer between the ages of 30 and 40 years. A recent sampling of 77 persons with albinism from different African countries seems to support the reported trends. Of the 77, 43 had 239 pre-cancerous lesions and 3 required immediate surgical attention. This sample indicates the scale of the problem in the region and the need for immediate attention.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Studies often link the prevalence of skin cancer to factors such as the lack of basic understanding of albinism, particularly by persons with albinism and their families. For example, it is not uncommon for parents to put a newborn with albinism out in the sun for hours. Displaced persons with albinism are exposed to a heightened risk of skin cancer as they are mostly outside of their usual environment and have limited means to address their health needs. Also at particular risk of developing skin cancer are persons with albinism who work outdoors, such as farmers or traders. Such outdoor occupations also emphasize the link between the risk of contracting skin cancer and poverty.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Infants
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination against women takes various forms. Women with albinism are reportedly victims of targeted acts of sexual violence spurred by the myth and misbelief that sexual intercourse with a woman with albinism can cure HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, women who give birth to a child with albinism may face ostracism and discrimination. They are also exposed to rejection by their husbands or partners, accused of adultery or infidelity and blamed for giving birth to a child who is generally seen as a curse or a bad omen. The rejection of mothers of children with albinism exposes them to poverty and isolation and increases the vulnerability to attacks of both mother and child with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 45f
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert intends to identify and consolidate the measures to end and prevent attacks to persons with albinism in consultation with States, civil society, international and regional bodies and agencies as well as other stakeholders. The specific measures identified will be based on those already identified, particularly those adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, namely:] Inclusion of information in reports submitted by States parties to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights under article 62 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, on the situation of persons with albinism, including good practices in protecting and promoting the rights of persons with albinism;
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 45g
- Paragraph text
- [The Independent Expert intends to identify and consolidate the measures to end and prevent attacks to persons with albinism in consultation with States, civil society, international and regional bodies and agencies as well as other stakeholders. The specific measures identified will be based on those already identified, particularly those adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, namely:] Promotion, in collaboration with relevant regional and international organizations, bilateral, regional and international initiatives aimed at protecting persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert is of the view that specific measures to end attacks against persons with albinism should include immediate investigation of allegations and prosecution of alleged perpetrators, legal representation and adequate protection for victims and witnesses and sensitization of the judiciary and law enforcement officers on the issue. Furthermore, protection measures for persons with albinism should be adopted and implemented in their communities. Victims of attacks should be provided with the appropriate remedy and redress, not only legal, but also social, psychological and medical. The Independent Expert will also seek the adoption of measures to prevent the trafficking in body parts, as well as specific measures for improving conditions at temporary shelters for displaced persons with albinism and the execution of safe strategies for reintegrating them into their homes and communities. In that regard, she encourages international and regional cooperation.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert will pay particular attention to the practices and legal approaches of countries to ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism. She envisages wide consultation particularly among persons with albinism on their views on discrimination. She will follow with interest debates on the ways to approach such issues at the national, regional and international levels. The Independent Expert looks forward to working closely with experts at the national, regional and international levels on related issues such as racial discrimination, disabilities, trafficking, health, minority issues, violence against women and children, cultural rights, harmful traditional practices, extrajudicial and summary executions and torture, most of whom have already contributed to the debate surrounding the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- The findings of the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee will also guide the Independent Expert in her work. In its report to the Human Rights Council, the Advisory Committee stressed the need for increased engagement of international and regional mechanisms with the issue of persons with albinism and lamented that efforts, however, continue to be fragmented and only partially address the complexity of the human rights challenges that persons with albinism face. A more sustainable response, to bridge protection gaps and to ensure accountability for human rights violations committed against persons with albinism, is required.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert looks forward to working closely with all special procedure mandate holders so as to harmonize efforts in addressing the many obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism. She sees close connections between her mandate and those of other special procedures, such as the rights of persons with disabilities; the right to education; the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice; violence against women; contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance; and cultural rights. The Independent Expert also intends to work in close cooperation with the mandate holders on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and trafficking in persons, especially women and children.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Guided by her mandate to identify, exchange and promote good practices relating to the realization of the rights of persons with albinism and their participation as equal members of society, she will strive to identify effective measures to address discrimination against persons with albinism at all levels, including with regard to access to health and education. This collection of best practices would address the protection and promotion of human rights of people with albinism and focus on issues beyond attacks, namely discrimination and equality.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, the Independent Expert will give particular importance to her mandate to conduct, facilitate and support the provision of advisory services, technical assistance, capacity-building and international cooperation in support of national efforts for the effective realization of the rights of persons with albinism and to prevent violence. She is therefore particularly committed to fostering capacity-building of national stakeholders, promoting exchanges on challenges and experiences and supporting efforts in translating international norms into national legislation, policies, programmes and practices that are effective and adapted to national circumstances.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- In line with her mandate, the Independent Expert will raise awareness on the rights of persons with albinism in order to combat stereotypes, prejudices and harmful traditional practices and beliefs that hinder their enjoyment of human rights and participation in society on an equal basis with others. To that end, she will promote positive change in social perceptions about persons with albinism through the dissemination of general knowledge about and understanding of albinism in society at large, including from a scientific perspective. Such awareness-raising will contribute to fighting myths and stereotypes about persons with albinism, particularly those that fuel stigma, discrimination and attacks.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert views the creation of the mandate as a significant expression of the collective will to end attacks against persons with albinism and to find their root causes in order to establish measures to prevent the occurrence of attacks. As stated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "There is no room in this 21st century for erroneous and harmful beliefs, or for discrimination on any grounds. People with albinism are just as deserving of dignity as every other human being."
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert reiterates her desire to engage constructively with affected States specifically to delve into the root causes of discrimination, stigmatization and attacks on persons with albinism so as to establish preventive measures. She also looks forward to various forms of in-depth engagement with Members States of the United Nations and emphasizes the importance of an inclusive and all-encompassing approach in the execution of her mandate. Finally, the Independent Expert notes the central and complementary role of civil society, particularly non-governmental organizations and academia, in providing her with necessary information for building sustainable platforms for the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- In her report to the General Assembly (A/71/255), in which she provided a preliminary overview of the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism, the Independent Expert showed how interrelated factors, including the mythologization of albinism and a related lack of understanding of the scientific bases of the condition, poverty, witchcraft practices and other aggravating factors all contributed to ongoing outbreaks of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism. In the present report, the Independent Expert refers to "witchcraft" as "phenomena", to reflect the plurality of concepts, terms, practices and beliefs encompassed by the term.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- There are different types of albinism. The most common and visible type is oculocutaneous albinism, which affects the skin, hair and eyes. Within this type are subtypes that may reflect varying degrees of melanin deficiency in an individual. Lack of melanin in the eyes results in high sensitivity to bright light and significant vision impairment, with the level of severity varying from one person to another. This vision impairment often cannot be completely corrected. In addition, one of the most serious health implications of albinism is vulnerability to skin cancer, which remains a life-threatening condition for most persons with albinism. All human rights issues relating to albinism reported to date - attacks, mutilation and trafficking of body parts, among others - have been linked to its oculocutaneous form, which is also the most visible type of albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- In the international human rights framework, persons with albinism have normative protection in the International Bill of Rights covering all their fundamental human rights, including the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty, security, the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and an adequate standard of living. Further protection can be found in specific instruments, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which proscribes "racial discrimination" based on colour.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- According to a study undertaken by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the French notion of "sorcery" and the English notion of "witchcraft" were introduced to Africa by the first Europeans explorers, colonialists and missionaries and, strongly influenced by European history, were pejorative. These concepts were employed to translate the terms used in vernacular languages for local realities. The notion of witchcraft, as used in the present report, therefore refers to multiple concepts covered by a variety of different terms referring to various phenomena whose interpretation relies on their context. It is nevertheless generally agreed that in all cultural contexts, witchcraft refers to negative occult or mystical forces, although it has been - albeit less frequently - associated with positive connotations such as empowerment and cleansing.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Evans-Pritchard distinguishes between "witchcraft" and "sorcery". According to his definition, witches have supernatural powers and operate in secret, in order to harm victims by devouring their life essence. In contrast, a sorcerer is someone who does harm by using plant substances and rituals. The use of body parts of persons with albinism in amulets, charms, potions or other preparations could arguably fall under either category. Therefore, in the present report, the Independent Expert will use the term "witchcraft" to denote both concepts. She will not use the term "magic", which has been employed in some cases to describe attacks against persons with albinism, because it seems to have a dual quality of both benevolence and malevolence, and may therefore be misunderstood. Since the report intends to capture witchcraft in the broader sense and its negative impact on persons with albinism, the term "magic" - in its malevolent form - will be understood to be subsumed by the term "witchcraft".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- Although belief in, and practice of, witchcraft can be associated in certain cases with empowerment, healing and cleansing, attacks and use of body parts of persons with albinism, regardless of the purpose for which they are used, cannot under any circumstances be considered an elemental part of any legitimate practice, whether linked to witchcraft or to traditional medicine, because such acts inherently constitute criminal activity and other human rights violations. Consequently, they cannot be justified on the basis of tradition, traditional medicine, or any other ground.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Persons with albinism are victims of ritual attacks. It is believed that their body parts can bring, inter alia, wealth and good luck when used in potions made by practitioners of witchcraft, referred to as witchdoctors. Persons with albinism who are victims of such attacks are often dismembered and their body parts stolen, including limbs, genitals and hair. In addition, body parts are often taken from live victims because of the related belief that the intensity of their screams while being dismembered enhances the potency of the muti or juju.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against persons with albinism often involve three types of perpetrators: persons who hunt, attack, kill and dismember persons with albinism and transport their body parts; persons, often presenting themselves as witchdoctors, who prepare the muti or juju using the body parts; and persons who obtain or purchase the muti or juju. Each of these actions constitutes a crime and should therefore be investigated and prosecuted under relevant criminal law provisions, irrespective of whether they are connected to muti, juju or witchcraft.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- However, one of the major challenges in prosecuting attacks has been the inability to identify and prosecute the last two categories of perpetrators. The collection of evidence on the entire chain of criminal command of attacks against persons with albinism is often hindered by the secrecy surrounding witchcraft practice, the participation of family members in perpetrating attacks, the inability or fear of victims and their families to report attacks, as well as the limited financial, human and technical resources at the disposal of law enforcement agents in the concerned countries.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert has received reports that demand for body parts for the purpose of muti or juju has led to the existence of a black market, at the national, regional and international levels, for body parts of persons with albinism. While there is often evidence of trafficking and attempted trafficking of body parts, evidence of the market for the parts is more indicative than substantive at present. It is therefore important to conduct further investigative studies and research to map patterns of trafficking of body parts, including on the alleged markets or points of sale, and on the international networks that may be involved.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- In the report of her mission to Papua New Guinea (A/HRC/23/49/Add.2), the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences stated that she had witnessed brutal assaults perpetrated against suspected sorcerers, which in many cases included torture, rape, mutilation and murder. Similarly, in the report of her mission to India (A/HRC/26/38/Add.1), she explained that the stigma attached to women who were labelled "witches" and the rejection they experienced within their communities led not only to various human rights violations but constituted an obstacle to gaining access to justice. She also noted that such labelling affected family members across generations. Further, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, in the report of his mission to Ghana (A/HRC/25/60/Add.1), invited special procedure mandate holders to follow up on practices in "witch camps" where, it was reported, women - particularly elderly women - were banished once they had been labelled as witches.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- In its study on children accused of witchcraft, UNICEF reported that, in many African societies, births considered "abnormal" were generally surrounded by a complex system of representations and rituals. Such births included twins, "badly born" children and persons with albinism. Cases have been reported of parents killing their babies born with albinism for being witches. Where these children are not killed at birth, they are often taken to a spiritual leader or traditional healer to be "healed" through various forms of violent exorcism. Similarly, in a report published by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General on Violence Against Children in 2012, it is stressed that vulnerable children such as children with disabilities, children with albinism, premature babies or specially gifted children are often the target of witchcraft accusations. The link between witchcraft and persons with albinism was also noted in western Sudan where persons with albinism were accused of taking part in "strange and dangerous practices" related to witchcraft.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Infants
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- In addition, the common belief that persons with albinism are a bad omen or a curse on their family or on the community, although not, stricto sensu, a witchcraft accusation, does attribute evil qualities to a newborn, with an impact on the mothers and family members in a manner that is strongly analogous to the impact stemming from witchcraft accusations. Consequently, infanticide, abandonment of children with albinism and exclusion of the children and their mothers from community life (either structural expulsion or exclusion from participation) have been reported to the Independent Expert.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Infants
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief stated in the report of his mission to Sierra Leone (A/HRC/25/58/Add.1) that freedom of religion or belief, while allowing for legally defined limitations to protect the rights and freedoms of others, must be broadly understood. Witchcraft-related beliefs, whether in their ancient or modern form, are protected under the freedom of belief, as are actions related to such beliefs, as long as they do not violate the rights of others. However, he also stressed that "the serious harm inflicted on persons accused of witchcraft can never be justified", and that "if someone were to invoke the right to freedom of religion or belief in order to support harmful practices, such as the persecution and punishment of alleged witches, this would be a clear case for limiting the application of freedom of religion or belief". The same reasoning applies to other harmful practices, including attacks against persons with albinism: harmful practices can never be justified.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- It is important to reiterate that although witchcraft per se should not be criminalized, any killing of persons for the use of body parts in witchcraft-related practices such as muti or juju should be prosecuted. To do so, it is necessary to ensure that legal provisions criminalize a broad range of attacks and assaults, as well as criminalize the possession and trafficking of body parts. Linking such a criminal action to muti and juju would be challenging, given the difficulty in establishing objective evidentiary standards. Nonetheless, where evidence substantially supports the proposition that muti and juju were the purpose of the criminal activity, States could consider including that factor as an aggravating circumstance leading to a heavier sentence and ultimately deter crime incentivized by witchcraft. Non-legal tools such as public education and sociocultural interventions with stakeholders would also be necessary to complement such legal practice in dissuading muti, juju and all crimes related to witchcraft.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- In joint general recommendation No. 31/general comment No. 18, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child have provided guidance on what constitutes harmful practices, which are defined as "persistent practices and forms of behaviour that are grounded in discrimination on the basis of, among other things, sex, gender and age, in addition to multiple and/or intersecting forms of discrimination that often involve violence and cause physical and/or psychological harm or suffering".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Attacks against persons with albinism for the purpose of obtaining and using body parts in muti or juju as well as accusations of witchcraft match these criteria for harmful practices. In the publication on harmful practices issued by her Office, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, quoting the UNICEF study, reported that "discrimination, violence and harmful practices against children with albinism have reached alarming proportions". She added that there were no cultural or religions justifications for such practices.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- The right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health was first articulated in the 1946 Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO), whose preamble states that "the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition". Similarly, article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mentions health as part of the right to an adequate standard of living. Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provides the most comprehensive normative framework on the right to the highest attainable standard of health. The article has been interpreted as inclusive of specific entitlements, including the right to an adequate system of health protection, the right to prevention and treatment of illnesses, the right to access essential medicines, the provision of health-related education and information, as well as participation of those concerned in health-related decisions.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- In its global study on the legal status of traditional medicine and complementary/alternative medicine, WHO recognized both mainstream medical care (allopathic medicine) and complementary/alternative medicine, terms that were used interchangeably with "traditional medicine" in some countries. Given the broadness of the term "traditional medicine" and the wide range of practices it encompassed, traditional medicine was difficult to define with a finite list of objective criteria. However, WHO provided a helpful list of what might be included: a diversity of health practices, approaches, knowledge, and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and/or mineral-based medicines; spiritual therapies; manual techniques; and exercises, applied singly or in combination, to maintain well-being, as well as to treat, diagnose or prevent illness.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 52
- Paragraph text
- One third of the world's population and over half of the populations of the poorest parts of Asia and Africa do not have regular access to allopathic drugs, including essential medicines. In its global study, WHO reported that the most commonly reported reasons for using traditional medicine were that it was more affordable and accessible, less paternalistic than allopathic medicine and consequently often closer to the patient's ideology. During the visit of the Independent Expert to Mozambique, the very high number of traditional medicine practitioners registered with the main association of traditional healers suggested that resort to traditional medicine was popular.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- WHO suggested that regardless of the reason why an individual used it, traditional medicine provided an important health-care service to persons without geographic or financial access to health care. The Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, in his report to the Human Rights Council in 2008, echoed general comment No. 14, stating that "a health system is required to take into account traditional preventive care, healing practices and medicines" (see A/HRC/7/11, paragraph 44). In addition, he also stated, in his 2006 report to the General Assembly (A/61/338), in which he examined the right to health and maternal mortality, that all medicines had to be culturally acceptable and respectful of medical ethics. He suggested, for example, that national measures should support the proper use of traditional medicine and its integration into health-care systems, while clinical trials must obtain the informed consent of research subjects.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 55
- Paragraph text
- The present report does not question the necessity, complementarity or usefulness of traditional medicine. However, the broad definition of the concept has led to situations where the difference between witchcraft practitioners and traditional doctors is difficult to establish in practice. For example, the Independent Expert has seen advertisements in newspapers posted by "traditional healers" offering to make clients richer, cure incurable diseases, secure release from prison, and making other claims that are more suggestive of witchcraft than traditional medicine. In this context, the ideological affinity found between patients and traditional medicine could facilitate witchcraft as a harmful practice because witchcraft can have a diagnostic objective that could implicate innocent third parties - for example, persons known to and disliked by the patient - as the source of a patient's problem.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- As noted during the universal periodic review of Papua New Guinea, the National Action Plan against Sorcery- and Witchcraft-related Violence was approved in 2015 (A/HRC/33/10). The Action Plan is supported by the national and provincial committees, which serve to ensure its implementation to complement existing laws that address sorcery and witchcraft-related killings and violence. The Action Plan, which puts emphasis on strengthening partnerships between relevant stakeholders, has five core areas: legal reforms and protection; health; advocacy and communication; care and counselling; and research. Each area contains a few key recommendations and sets out concrete activities to be implemented. It also allocates specific responsibilities to particular departments and organizations, establishes time frames, and highlights the human and financial resources necessary to implement them.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, on 24 November 2015, Mozambique adopted an action plan to respond to attacks, with concrete, time-bound measures. The action plan is based on a preliminary socio-anthropological study on albinism conducted by the Institute of Social-Cultural Research. The main areas of the action plan are promoting education on albinism, public education and awareness-raising on the issue among families and communities; guaranteeing protection and social assistance to persons with albinism; ensuring prevention of attacks, legal assistance and procedural celerity; sharing and publication of judicial decisions as a means of deterrence; and conducting further research to improve measures identified in the plan and to support evidence-based policymaking.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert emphasizes the need to incorporate in the plan, as in all initiatives on the issue, a dual or twin-track approach. This includes, on the one hand, an emergency and priority response in the area of protection against and prevention of attacks and, on the other hand, the adoption of long-term policies to fight discrimination; address rampant myths, dangerous misconceptions, stigma and witchcraft practices affecting persons with albinism; and ensure full enjoyment by those persons of their socioeconomic rights, among others.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Measures identified can be implemented by integrating them into existing, broader frameworks, including laws and policies to implement the rights of persons with disabilities, on access to health, on the rights of women and children, on access to justice services, on victim support services and to eliminate racial discrimination (including discrimination based on colour). Such measures should be extended to the family members of persons with albinism and, in particular, to mothers of children with albinism and women generally. At the same time, specific measures of protection and anti-discrimination for persons with albinism should also be carried out where possible, particularly in countries affected by attacks against persons with albinism and where neglect of this group has been historical and dire.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- It is likely that similar laws, including those inherited from the colonial era, when examined in the light of the principles of human rights, including the rule of law and the right to a fair trial, would lead to outcomes similar to the ones prescribed by the Commission. They include repealing outdated legislation on witchcraft, while emphasizing the necessity of sanctioning persons who accuse others of witchcraft; making it generally known that harmful practices related to witchcraft would be prosecuted; and ensuring that mere belief in witchcraft is not criminalized. However, as witchcraft in general has yet to feature prominently on the radar of human rights mechanisms, the initiation of a system-wide approach, beginning with a scaled-up version of the exercise conducted in Papua New Guinea, including an exercise in definition, is timely.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- WHO, in its study on the legal status of traditional medicine, details the status of traditional medicine in 123 countries around the world, showing the diverse approaches taken by States with respect to the practice. In sub-Saharan Africa, some States recognize traditional medicine as part of the national health system while others are silent on the issue. There are also variations between States in the level of regulation of traditional medicine practitioners. Some countries have established registers of practitioners, or exercise control by issuing government licences at the central level; in others, local officials are able to authorize the practice of traditional medicine in their administrative and/or health subdivisions. In certain countries, unlicensed practising of traditional medicine is a punishable offence. In other countries, including those with records of attacks, there is no licensing or registration process for practitioners of traditional medicine.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 74
- Paragraph text
- The adoption of regulatory measures regarding traditional medicine would benefit from a Government-enforced monitoring mechanism that reaches rural, remote and border areas, particularly where attacks against persons with albinism have been reported. It is also critical that any legislation enacted regarding the practice of traditional medicine be accompanied by public education campaigns explaining the criminal nature of witchcraft-related attacks and violence. In addition, efforts should be made to ensure that relevant legislative developments are communicated to practitioners of traditional medicine and that the new provisions are effective and enforced.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- This does not mean that there is no role for the organizations of traditional healers in the process. On the contrary, their task is fundamental in complementing the actions taken by the State. For example, they could, in collaboration with the Government, develop internal rules of practice and clarify the impact of law and policy on the details of their practice. In this regard, good practices include cooperation among such organizations and between the organizations and the ministries of health, including through exchange of information and referrals.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- In the public interest, it is also important that States ensure adequate standards for traditional medicine. There must be minimum requirements for all practitioners, regardless of whether they are affiliated with an organization. The standards must be in line with established human rights norms, without compromising the core principles of availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of goods and services. The obligation on States also extends to ensuring that practitioners do not conduct harmful practices, including the use of body parts of persons with albinism for muti or juju.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Harmful Practices
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 78
- Paragraph text
- The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime defines trafficking as "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation". A similar definition is used in most legislation addressing trafficking in persons.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, in her 2013 report to the General Assembly (A/68/256), stated that the difference between trafficking in organs and trafficking in persons for the removal of organs was largely semantic, given that organs were not moved or traded independently of their source, because the victim was moved or positioned in such a way as to make transplantation possible. However, the hypothesis regarding attacks against persons with albinism suggests a different context. Here the purpose is not the transplantation of a functional organ, but the collection of a body part for muti or juju. Although some cases of trafficking of persons with albinism have been reported, in the majority of the cases, the victims are attacked in their homes or while carrying out their ordinary activities, and their body parts hacked off their living or dead bodies at the place of the attack, or close by. In such cases, it cannot be considered that the victims are trafficked, yet their body parts are being harvested, transported and sold.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- In addition, it is not certain that body parts, such as limbs hacked off, seized and transported for the sake of muti or juju, would fall under the definition of "organ" in both international and national trafficking laws. Neither the Protocol nor other global instruments addressing trafficking for the removal and sale of organs, such as the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography or the WHO Guiding Principles on Human Organ Transplantation, defines "organ". However, a definition of "organ" is provided by a specific regional instrument on the issue, namely the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Organs, which defines "human organ" as "a differentiated part of the human body formed by different tissues, that maintains its structure, vascularisation and capacity to develop physiological functions with a significant level of autonomy".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- In the absence of specific legislation covering trafficking of body parts, some States have been confronted with a legal gap when they arrest persons for trafficking body parts of persons with albinism such as bones, hair and limbs. In response to this situation, in Malawi for example, the judiciary has made creative use of the Anatomy Act, which was not drafted with the horrendous crimes perpetrated against persons with albinism in mind. The Act, which was drafted for a medical context, carries relatively light penalties but was, until recent reforms, the only instrument available to prosecute cases of possession of body parts of persons with albinism.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- In addition to the problem of the legal gap, it is particularly difficult to establish that any body parts found are linked to an attack, given that such crimes are often not reported and the limited technical and financial means of law enforcement, particularly in the area of forensics, as well as the time and distance between the place where the alleged attack occurred and the place where the body parts were found. As a result, barring clear evidence that the body part was obtained from an attack or a graveyard robbery, affected States have resorted to laws that address mere illicit possession of body parts that, however, tend to carry penalties perceived to be too weak and fail to encompass the overall context of the crimes.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Public education, including awareness-raising on the scientific explanations for albinism, is one of the most fundamental tools for changing myths and erroneous beliefs that trigger violence against persons with albinism. For example, in a pilot project carried out in 2015-2016, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization country office in the United Republic of Tanzania undertook community sensitization using community radio and employing the sociocultural approach by empowering key community stakeholders such as teachers, health workers, traditional leaders, traditional healers and family members of persons with albinism to in turn mobilize their communities to protect and promote the well-being and rights of people with albinism. The project was a marked success. A post-project evaluation report revealed a quantifiable increase - in the double digits - in the percentage of people claiming knowledge about albinism, including its genetic basis and that it is not a curse.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 88
- Paragraph text
- The project illustrated the value of such campaigns and associated post-project evaluation not only for the dissemination of information and changing of attitudes and behaviour but also to gather data, as they revealed instructive patterns in the targeted communities. For example, the belief that body parts of a person with albinism have magical powers was found among respondents adhering to various religious groups: Christians, Muslims and traditional believers. In the context of the survey, the latter group had the highest number of believers in that myth. This type of information is helpful for understanding the character of the problem and grounding solutions such as working with all religious leaders. It also identifies areas where increased public education efforts or more targeted projects might be warranted. The evaluation found that youth and women were more likely to have misconceived notions about albinism than men. This suggests that the project did not reach women and youth to the same extent as it did men and that it is necessary to plan and implement further interventions that target these groups in particular.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 89
- Paragraph text
- The Independent Expert recommends the implementation of similar projects in all countries affected by any or all of the phenomena of attacks, discrimination and stigma against persons with albinism. Such projects should not be interrupted and last for a minimum of two years. Content should be accessible, including through the use of vernacular languages. Social media, mobile phone technology, community radio, rural cinema and television programmes have also proven to be particularly useful for awareness-raising. Creative awareness-raising methodologies and new ways of presenting information, including through community theatre and celebrity ambassadors, have also been successful.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Witchcraft practice, in particular the use of body parts of persons with albinism for muti or juju, is undeniably one of the main root causes of attacks against persons with albinism. However, owing to challenges in conceptualizing "witchcraft" using objective elements, attempts at establishing clear legal boundaries around such practices - including to deter related harmful practices - have been elusive. One key exception is witchcraft accusations, an aspect of witchcraft practice that can be, and has been, legally captured with objective elements because there is no need to define "witchcraft" itself to achieve the purpose of preventing accusations and related violence.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 92
- Paragraph text
- That being said, given the extent of witchcraft practices and the diversity of victims of related harmful practices, including persons with albinism, a transversal approach is timely. This could be in the form of a guiding document that takes into account the several recommendations made to date, including by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the Constitutional Law Reform Commission of Papua New Guinea and the preliminary conclusions of the Independent Expert.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 5
- Paragraph text
- While there is no internationally agreed definition of social protection, the term is most commonly used to refer to a variety of public and private interventions aimed at securing the well-being of a person in the event of social risk and need, such as (a) lack of work-related income, (b) unaffordable access to health care and (c) insufficient family and child support. In the present report, social protection is understood broadly to cover a variety of interventions designed to guarantee basic income security and access to essential social services, with the ultimate goal of achieving social inclusion and social citizenship.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 6
- Paragraph text
- Most social protection systems comprise contributory and non-contributory programmes, which can include universal benefit schemes, social insurance, social assistance and public employment programmes. Benefits can include child and family benefits, sickness and health-care benefits, disability benefits, old age and survivor benefits, employment injury benefits, unemployment benefits and employment guarantees, maternity benefits, income support and other benefits in cash and in kind. Social protection can be provided in many ways, with States establishing programmes according to their particular context and historical background.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Older persons
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Social protection programmes have the potential to directly affect the lives of persons with disabilities. Indeed, they can play a crucial role in reducing the consequences of sudden life-changing experiences (e.g., the loss of employment or a change in the family structure) and in crisis response, by contributing to alleviate the economic and social effects of economic downturns. They can also play a crucial role in alleviating and preventing poverty and vulnerability, promoting effective access to health care and other services, and foster social inclusion and participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 10
- Paragraph text
- The implementation of nationally defined social protection floors is a welcome human rights-based strategy to promote the participation and the social inclusion of persons with disabilities. The Social Protection Floors Recommendation No. 202 (2012) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) represents an important commitment of States to the establishment of national social protection floors, providing basic social security guarantees, including at least a basic level of income security and access to essential social services for all, including persons with disabilities, across the life cycle.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- Accordingly, as reflected in the outcome document of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on disability and development, an adequate interpretation of the ILO recommendation should result in the situation of persons with disabilities being considered as a cross-cutting issue. The needs and rights of all persons with disabilities must be carefully taken into consideration, with a view to achieving universal coverage and social inclusion, reducing poverty and marginalization, avoiding discrimination and achieving equality as a matter of principle throughout the life cycle.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 13
- Paragraph text
- By the time the Special Rapporteur presents this report, the General Assembly will have already adopted the Sustainable Development Goals. The draft final outcome document and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, adopted in July 2015, include important references to persons with disabilities. This reflects a growing consensus among States and successful advocacy by the disability community regarding a critical message: one of the reasons why the Millennium Development Goals have fallen short of reaching the set milestones is that persons with disabilities were completely absent from that framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Social protection is a fundamental tool for achieving the proposed targets and goals, as mentioned in proposed goal 1 (End poverty in all its forms everywhere), 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) and 10 (Reduce inequality within and among countries). In relation to persons with disabilities, goal 1 should be addressed in the short term by mainstreaming disability in all social protection and poverty reduction programmes - a task that remains a global challenge. Social protection should further be used as an important instrument for pursuing other proposed goals in the context of disability, including those of ensuring healthy lives and well-being, guaranteeing inclusive, equitable quality education, promoting lifelong learning and opportunities for all, and promoting full and productive employment and decent work for all. The Addis Ababa Action Agenda highlights the importance of financing sustainable and nationally appropriate social protection systems with a focus on persons with disabilities, among others.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Social protection should be aimed at achieving universality and, thus, at contributing to the objective of the enjoyment by all persons of an adequate standard of living. Universal social protection involves comprehensive systems that guarantee income security and support services for all persons across the life cycle, paying particular attention to those experiencing poverty, exclusion or marginalization. At the same time, universal social protection should entail inclusiveness, i.e. take into account the particular circumstances of all persons, including those with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 16
- Paragraph text
- The objective of universal social protection, already reflected in ILO recommendation No. 202, has recently been endorsed by the World Bank and ILO in a joint initiative. As co-chairs of the Social Protection Inter-agency Cooperation Board, and together with other United Nations agencies and development partners represented on the Board, both institutions can play a major role in promoting social protection responses that are inclusive of persons with disabilities, and in providing guidance to States on how to include a disability perspective into their national social protection systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 17
- Paragraph text
- The Universal Declaration on Human Rights recognizes the right of everyone to social security (art. 22) and affirms that everyone has the "right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family" and the "right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control" (art. 25). Subsequently this right has been codified in several international and re gional human rights instruments, which also include non-discrimination clauses, thus reaffirming that the right to social security entails an obligation for States to prohibit any form of discrimination related to the enjoyment of this right.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In this context, the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities represents a major step towards disability-inclusive social protection. Article 28 refers for the first time in an international instrument to the right to socia l protection and links it to the right to an adequate standard of living, with reference to adequate food, clothing and housing, and the continuous improvement of living conditions. It also tailors the right to social protection to persons with disabilitie s, recognizing that they must enjoy this right without discrimination on the basis of disability, and establishes a pathway for their inclusion in all efforts related to the realization of this right.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 21
- Paragraph text
- Social protection also resonates in other provisions of the Convention, including in relation to the right to live independently and be included in the community (art. 19), respect for home and the family (art. 23), education (art. 24), health (art. 25), habilitation and rehabilitation (art. 26) and work and employment (art. 27). Importantly, social protection interventions should be measured against the Convention's principles of non-discrimination, participation and inclusion, equal opportunities, accessibility, and equality between men and women (art. 3).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Traditional disability-welfare approaches have been instrumental in building and spreading the medical model of disability worldwide, since they were part of a societal structure that considered disability as a medical problem, and persons with disabilities as unable to work, cope independently or participate in society. Unsurprisingly, these approaches triggered further segregation and loss of self - determination. Children with disabilities were sent to special schools and persons with disabilities received medical attention and rehabilitation in segregated settings, along the lines of "fixing" or "curing" them while disregarding their own will. When persons with disabilities were granted disability benefits, this was often based on the premise that they were not able to work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- Therefore, social protection for persons with disabilities needs to move towards intervention systems that promote active citizenship, social inclusion and community participation, while avoiding paternalism, dependence and segregation. The ultimate aim is to achieve the right to live independently and be included in the community, in line with article 19 of the Convention, which creates an obligation for States to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy: choice on an equal basis with others about life-shaping decisions (e.g., where and with whom they wish to live), and thus control over their own lives; access to necessary support services as a condition for free choice on an equal basis with others (including the provision of personal assistance); and access to all community services available to others, including in the context of the labour market, housing, transportation, health care and education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Poverty affects persons with disabilities in a disproportionate manner. They are overrepresented among the poorest in the world, experiencing higher rates of poverty and deprivation, and lower levels of income than the general population. A study using comparable data and methods across 15 developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean found a significant association between disability and multidimensional poverty in at least 11 of the countries studied. Persons with disabilities are also at a significantly higher risk of relative income poverty in most countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with poverty rates for persons with disabilities exceeding 30 per cent in some countries. Similarly, contributions to the present report illustrate the existence of high poverty rates among persons with disabilities in both developed and developing countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- The exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labour market contributes significantly to explaining these poverty levels. Working-age adults with disabilities experience low employment rates and salaries worldwide. A study in 10 developing countries shows that unemployment and labour inactivity range from 32 to 1 00 per cent among people with disabilities, depending on the level of the impairment. Those who work do so primarily in the informal sector, which increases their likelihood of receiving a wage below the minimum rate and of not being covered by social insurance. Persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities are less likely to be employed than other persons with disabilities. In OECD countries, the employment rate of persons with disabilities is on average 40 per cent lower than the overall level, while the unemployment rate is twice as high. According to ILO, the economic loss related to the exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labour market in low- and middle-income countries is between 3 and 7 per cent of the gross domestic product.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination and stigma, unequal opportunities, and physical and attitudinal barriers are also causes for the social exclusion and poverty of persons with disabilities. Lack of education, in particular, has a significant impact on poverty in adulthood of persons with disabilities. As research shows, persons with disabilities with higher educational attainments have considerably higher employment and income rates. Nonetheless, children and youth with disabilities are less likely to attend school or to be promoted in school, which affects their opportunities for future employment. Furthermore, measures such as the arrest of homeless persons have a disproportionate impact on persons with psychosocial disabilities and may criminalize persons in need of support.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- Poverty reduction programmes do not adequately include persons with disabilities. Research suggests that social protection programmes do not meet the needs of persons with disabilities. For example, a recent study in two developing countries reveals that, despite the significant poverty gap between persons with disabilities and the general population, social protection programmes often do not specifically include persons with disabilities or respond to their specific needs. This constitutes a missed opportunity, given that in the past decade most developing countries have implemented new poverty reduction programmes (including cash transfers and public employment schemes) that could have benefited persons with disabilities and supported their exit out of poverty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities incur a range of common daily expenditures that persons without disabilities do not. They include extra costs for the person and the family to purchase goods and services, such as health care, transportation, assistive devices, personal assistance and house adaptation. On the one hand, some of these goods and services are entirely disability-related, such as mobility aids, appropriate and adapted devices and assistive technologies (including information and communications systems) and various forms of live assistance and intermediaries (e.g., personal assistance services and service animals). However, many of these goods and services are not available through or covered by national social protection systems. On the other hand, persons with disabilities may pay higher prices for accessing the same goods and services as other people (e.g., private health and life insurance, when available) and consume larger amounts of certain non-specialized goods and services, such as food, heating, personal care, laundry, and telephone and Internet services, thus incurring considerable extra costs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Importantly, many of these extra costs are directly related to lack of accessibility. An obvious example is transportation, where a person with a disability may be obliged to use taxis on a daily basis owing to the non-accessibility of the public transport system. Lack of accessibility also reduces the options for obtaining other goods and services. For instance, persons with disabilities often incur considerably higher expenditures for basic items such as food or clothing because they have no alternative to shopping locally or relying on others, thus preventing them from benefiting from bargains. Accessible services can also be more costly than their non-accessible equivalents.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- While the extra cost of disability varies greatly depending on the availability and financial accessibility of goods and services, researchers have calculated that it can amount to almost 50 per cent of an individual's income. A recent study on older persons with disabilities estimates that, on average, disability costs are approximately 65 per cent higher than the net weekly pre-disability household income. In addition, the economic cost of living with a disability includes foregone benefits or opportunity costs (e.g., lost income of individuals with disabilities or of family members who cannot work, or who work less, if the household includes one or more persons with disabilities), the impact of which depends on many factors, including the type of impairment, the household's socioeconomic status, the individual's work status and the policy context (e.g., the existence of disability benefits).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Accordingly, the extra cost of disability has significant consequences for persons with disabilities and may lead to a lower standard of living and to poverty when households cannot afford these expenditures. Contributions to the present report illustrate that many persons with disabilities cannot afford education and health services owing to the additional costs incurred because of disability, while they also face significant barriers to accessing health care, such as non-affordable or inadequate health services, discrimination in public and private health insurance, and insufficient insurance coverage. Catastrophically high health expenditures are preponderant among persons with disabilities, across all gender and age groups. Consequently, the burden of disability-related extra costs can easily nullify the enjoyment of other human rights, including living independently and with freedom of choice in any given society.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 33
- Paragraph text
- States should therefore provide social protection programmes that cover disability-related expenditures, to prevent a significant deterioration of standard of living and to prevent poverty. While evidence suggests that social benefits contribute positively to reducing the at-risk-of-poverty rates for persons with disabilities, in practice very few States have established flexible systems that cover disability-related costs. In most cases, benefits are static, provided in fixed lump sums without account being taken of the individual's particular situation and needs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- States should prioritize social protection policies to ensure the well-being of children and adolescents with disabilities and their families; to enable them to realize their full potential through inclusive and adequate services and support measures (especially in the education and health sectors); and to combat poverty. In effect, families with children with disabilities are disproportionately more likely to fall below the poverty line, as disability in childhood is often the catalyst for poverty owing to disability-related extra costs, family break-ups and unemployment following the onset of disability. Poverty, in turn, remains the main cause of malnutrition, school dropout, abandonment and institutionalization of children with disabilities. States should adopt inclusive and barrier-free social protection systems as they can have a life-changing impact on children and adolescents with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 36
- Paragraph text
- Social protection plays an important role for women and men with disabilities of working age, by stabilizing and protecting their income in the event of unemployment, sickness or inactivity, and by ensuring at least a basic level of income security. Effective measures to support persons with disabilities in finding and retaining quality employment are an essential element of non-discriminatory and inclusive policies that help them realize their rights and aspirations as productive members of society. Social protection also contributes to meeting their health care, maternal protection and social participation needs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 37
- Paragraph text
- Persons with disabilities who have not acquired entitlements to a contributory pension during their working lives face considerable difficulties in maintaining an adequate level of income security towards the end of their lives, when adequate non-contributory pensions are not available. Moreover, as they are often less likely to have a partner or to marry, intra-family support as an additional source of income security is often insufficient and unreliable. Therefore, social protection programmes are necessary to guarantee income security for older persons with disabilities and to provide support services. As disability rates are considerably higher among older persons, there is a growing demand for health and social care and support services to enable them to continue living independently and with dignity.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- Women and girls with disabilities face many difficulties in accessing adequate housing, health care, education, vocational training and employment, and are more likely to be institutionalized and experience poverty. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes that women and girls with disabilities are subject to multiple forms of discrimination, and provides for their equal and full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It also requires States to ensure that they have equal access to social protection and poverty reduction programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Accordingly, States must ensure that social protection programmes address the imbalances of power and the multiple forms of discrimination experienced by women and girls with disabilities. States should take steps to eliminate the barriers that prevent them from accessing social protection programmes and ensure that social protection systems take into account both disability-related and gender-related factors in the design and implementation of such programmes. Non-contributory schemes, in particular, play an important role, as women with disabilities are often excluded from the formal labour market. States should also acknowledge the role of women with disabilities as caregivers, including older women with disabilities, by providing them with appropriate assistance to perform care responsibilities without reinforcing patterns of discrimination and negative stereotyping.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 41
- Paragraph text
- Social protection systems must also respond to the needs of heterogeneous groups within the disability community, including those that may be easily forgotten in policymaking, such as deaf persons, autistic persons, and persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities. Impairment-specific considerations may be relevant for the purpose of providing targeted support services, for instance for people who are blind, deaf or deaf-blind. It is worth noting, however, that traditional disability-welfare approaches under the medical model de facto promoted inequality among the diversity of persons with disabilities by adopting legislation that benefited certain groups of persons with disabilities while excluding others. The deprivation of legal capacity faced by many persons with disabilities has also led to systematic discrimination in accessing their right to social protection and control over support provided.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- To ensure a comprehensive social protection system, States have an obligation to adopt national strategies and plans of action that consider the equal rights of persons with disabilities. In this regard, the design, implementation and monitoring of those strategies and action plans must comply with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Similarly, targets or goals have to include disability - specific benchmarks and indicators, to monitor and evaluate whether social protection systems benefit persons with disabilities or not.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- States have to include the right of persons with disabilities to social protection in their domestic legal framework. Where national legal frameworks define entitlements to social protection benefits, rights-holders have a legal ground to claim their rights, and the system as a whole tends to be more stable and sustainable. While the contributions to the present report illustrate a variety of approaches, existing legislation generally falls short in guaranteeing this right in its full extent to persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. It is encouraging to note, however, that, in line with their obligations under the Convention, States have started an analysis to assess where they stand and identify legislative gaps. This analysis is an important step for States to take towards a comprehensive harmonization process, where national legislation, policies, customs and practices are measured against the principles, rights and obligations of the Convention.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- States must also review their institutional frameworks to ensure that persons with disabilities are adequately included in social protection systems. In principle, these frameworks must bring coherence and coordination, rather than fragmentation, across programmes, actors and levels of government responsible for implementing social protection policies. In practice, however, disability-related social protection initiatives are too often disconnected from the broader social protection coordination system and implemented in isolation by the disability agencies within the government, rather than as part of the main social protection strategy. These disability agencies often operate without the engagement and necessary technical support of the main agencies in charge of national programmes. Of additional concern is the lack of coordinated responses between national and subnational authorities, which can jeopardize the availability and quality of benefits and services within a country.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- This fragmentation increases the likelihood of persons with disabilities being excluded from mainstream social protection programmes, thus limiting the scope, quality and adequacy of the services and benefits they receive. To avoid this, States must ensure that all disability-related programmes are considered as an integral part of their national social protection strategies and are not delegated solely to the responsibility of the government's disability agency. States should also devote efforts to taking the needs of persons with disabilities into consideration in their mainstream social protection programmes, and enhancing their internal coordination mechanisms to address those needs in a comprehensive manner. Further, States should invest in interministerial and intersectoral capacity-building to strengthen the institutional framework.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Although persons with disabilities can be covered by contributory sche mes (e.g., social insurance programmes), they have considerably fewer opportunities to contribute to such schemes than persons without disabilities, mainly owing to their higher unemployment rates, economic inactivity and informal employment. Contributory schemes normally do not cover children and young adults with disabilities if they have been unable to contribute to a social insurance scheme or are not covered through their parents. Despite these limitations, contributory schemes play an important role in providing social protection to persons with disabilities and often provide higher benefits than non-contributory programmes. Making provision for government-financed contributions for certain categories of persons who are unable to contribute directly, or who have limited contributory capacity, can strengthen the universal protection of contributory programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 49
- Paragraph text
- Contributory and non-contributory systems, as well as income generation programmes, can complement each other in various ways to reduce the coverage gap of persons with disabilities. Nevertheless, States must ensure an adequate level and quality of services in both contributory and non-contributory schemes, and their sustainability. States must also take steps, to the maximum of their available resources, to ensure that social protection systems cover all persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. Finally, States must ensure the continuity of benefits and services when a person moves from a contributory scheme to a non-contributory one, and vice versa.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- To achieve universalization and inclusiveness, social protection must be as mainstreamed as possible, and as specific as necessary. While mainstream programmes support the access of persons with disabilities to general benefits and services on an equal basis with others (including by providing reasonable accommodation), specific programmes provide them with access to quality mobility aids, devices, assistive technologies and other forms of live assistance, as well as to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services (including personal assistance to live independently and actively participate in the community). Together, these programmes must cover services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs, and extra costs. Overall, the balance between mainstream strategies and targeted support should be tailored to address the needs of specific groups of persons with disabilities, while maintaining the overall goal of including persons with disabilities in all aspects of social protection systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Disability benefits play an important role in ensuring income security for persons with disabilities and, therefore, in realizing their rights and aspirations as productive members of society. While these benefits may take various forms, including in-kind transfers or subsidies, the majority are in the form of cash transfers, such as disability pensions. Cash benefits are the preferred option because they entail lower administrative costs and provide individuals with a choice and control in selecting services and providers. According to ILO, almost all countries have a scheme anchored in law that provides cash benefits to persons with disabilities. The majority of them are contributory and serve as income replacement in the event of full or partial disability. Although non-contributory benefits are extremely important for persons with disabilities, they are available in less than half of the world's countries. Also, in most cases, the grants provided through this scheme are insufficient to ensure an adequate standard of living or even to cover the extra costs of disability.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- To avoid this dilemma, States should unbundle income security and disability- related assistance to find the right balance between supporting labour inclusion and providing an adequate level of income security for persons with disabilities. The two sets of policies should be seen as complementary, rather than contradictory, in promoting the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities. Measures to facilitate the inclusion in the labour market of recipients of disability benefits must include transitional or "bridging" arrangements to enable them to retain at least part of the benefits (e.g., assistance related to the extra costs of disability, and in-kind benefits, such as health care) until they reach a certain wage threshold, and to become eligible again without delay if they lose their jobs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- The targeting of persons with disabilities entails several difficulties. First, eligibility conditions in social protection programmes rely either on definitions of persons with disabilities derived from national legislation - which often have a narrow medical focus or exclude specific groups - or include programme-specific definitions, which may be limited to work capacity or medical assessments. States should review their national definition of persons with disabilities to ensure its conformity with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Second, even with a rights-based definition of persons with disabilities, it remains extremely difficult to determine whether a person is part of the targeted group or not. For instance, some countries may lack the administrative capacity required for disability determination in urban, rural and remote areas. The heterogeneity of the disability community makes targeting particularly challenging, especially in the case of invisible or episodic impairments. In some cases, corruption or medical discretion can also affect the disability assessments. Therefore, disability-targeting errors are very frequent.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- Fourth, disability-related services, devices and other assistance may also be subject to means-testing, limiting the coverage of disability-related programmes. In this respect, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has expressed concern about limiting access to social protection benefits and subsidies to those who meet "poverty criteria" or a "financial assets test". Therefore, while poverty reduction programmes should include additional disability-related expenditures, disability-specific social protection programmes should not be limited in scope to the poverty threshold, without considering the extra costs that make people with disabilities more prone to becoming poor.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 61
- Paragraph text
- Lastly, targeting methods have to take account of persons with disabilities. While self-targeting (i.e. where persons with disabilities self-enrol into programmes) can be an interesting alternative to disability assessments, it may have a limited impact if the information and procedures for applying are inaccessible. Similarly, although community-based targeting to identify recipients for cash or in-kind benefits promotes the involvement of local agents or institutions, there is a risk that the decision makers exclude persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 63
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that social protection programmes meet the standards of quality, adaptability, acceptability and adequacy for all persons with disabilities. Accordingly, social protection programmes must be adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities in their local context; be acceptable in the light of the multiple discrimination that they face; and provide benefits of an adequate amount and duration to enable beneficiaries to enjoy an adequate standard of living. In other words, States must ensure that benefits and services offered by social protection programmes are relevant and consistent with the right of persons with disabilities to an adequate standard of living.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 64
- Paragraph text
- Disability-related needs should be considered and addressed in all areas of the social protection system. In many countries, the lack of availability of services is problematic: health coverage, for instance, does not always include specialized health services or assistive devices that persons with disabilities may need. Thus, they must bear, with their households, the cost of accessing those services or devices. Similarly, public employment and housing programmes often do not guarantee appropriate conditions for persons with disabilities to actually benefit from those programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- States should ensure that benefits are sufficiently high to enable persons with disabilities to afford the goods and services required to enjoy at least a minimum essential level of economic, social and cultural rights. The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has stressed the importance of taking into account disability-related costs to ensure a sufficient allocation of benefits, in particular for children with disabilities and their families. The Committee has also recommended calculating benefits on the basis of the personal characteristics and circumstances and the needs of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 66
- Paragraph text
- Like other programmes, conditional cash transfer programmes must take into account disability-related needs. However, there is growing evidence that the conditionalities attached to these programmes tend to exclude persons with disabilities owing to structural barriers. This includes, for instance, the lack of inclusive education that precludes children with disabilities from attending school or the lack of accessible information that impedes deaf persons from participating in training or meetings with the social services. In response, some conditional cash transfer programmes have opted to exempt persons with disabilities from the conditionalities that they cannot fulfil because of existing external barriers. While such exemptions allow persons with disabilities to fight short-term poverty, they contradict the overall goal of investing in human capabilities to promote social inclusion and active participation, and represent a missed opportunity to address longer-term poverty.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 67
- Paragraph text
- To be inclusive, States should support persons with disabilities in meeting the conditionalities established by conditional cash transfer programmes. While allowing them to benefit from the programmes despite not meeting the conditionality criteria is a positive, if insufficient, measure, an intersectoral intervention is needed to guarantee access to the required services by persons with disabilities and their families. This support must also be available to parents with disabilities when they are not the direct beneficiaries, but are responsible for ensuring that the targeted members of the household meet the set conditions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- States must ensure that the implementation of programmes does not undermine the rights of persons with disabilities. In some cases, to access benefits, adults with disabilities are compelled to renounce their legal capacity or receive treatment and rehabilitation on a regular basis, including psychiatric treatment. In other cases, services are offered in segregated settings - such as special schools or sheltered employment - or otherwise in a way that is not compliant with human rights standards. Such practices are contrary to the intrinsic dignity of persons with disabilities and contradict the principles of non-discrimination, participation and inclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- The principle of non-discrimination must be respected at all stages of a social protection programme cycle, including at the design, implementation and monitoring stages. States must ensure that social protection programmes are designed, implemented and monitored in a way that takes into account the experiences of all men and women with disabilities, from the selection of beneficiaries to the delivery of services and benefits. To that end, social prot ection systems must address the structural barriers that persons with disabilities face to participate in society, including lack of accessibility.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- Lack of physical accessibility affects not only access to social protection programmes, but also to the provision of services and the delivery of benefits. An analysis of contributions received shows that in many countries, public and private infrastructure (e.g., schools, health-care centres and housing) is often inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Similarly, while cash benefits are commonly paid by direct transfer into bank accounts, the accessibility of bank services is not always ensured. The same applies to the distribution of benefits in kind, particularly in rural and remote areas.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Information, materials and communication pertaining to social protection programmes must not create barriers to the participation of persons with disabilities. Persons with sensory and intellectual impairments are often particularly affected. In fact, when information, materials and procedures are neither accessible nor easy to understand, persons with disabilities have no means of knowing about the existence of programmes and their requirements. This is important also because of the greater likelihood of persons with disabilities being illiterate because of lack of access to education.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- In this regard, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has stressed that States should ensure that social protection measures and services are provided in an accessible manner, in accessible buildings, and that all information and communication pertaining to them is accessible. The Committee has also highlighted the importance of adopting measures to remove barriers to access to basic services, drinking water and sanitation in rural and remote areas, and to include organizations of persons with disabilities in the monitoring of their implementation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- States have an obligation to ensure that persons with disabilities are actively engaged in the development of social protection systems. The principle of participation is expressly recognized in article 3 (c) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 29 (b) of the Convention further requires States to promote an environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs, on an equal basis with others, and to encourage their participation in public affairs. Article 4, paragraph 3, requires States to consult and involve persons with disabilities, including children with disabilities, in the development and implementation of legislation and policies to implement the Convention, and in other decision-making processes concerning issues relating to persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- In most cases, however, States do not systematically consult with persons with disabilities. A majority of the contributions received for the present report illustrate either a lack of consultation or sporadic, merely symbolic processes, with unrealistic time frames. Additionally, when consultations are undertaken, they are often limited to disability-specific programmes (rather than being on overall policies or strategies on social protection) or are conducted only at the central level. Organizations of persons with disabilities need to be informed of ongoing efforts, and processes need to be clear, accessible and disability-friendly, given that organizations of persons with disabilities are often underresourced and unfamiliar with the field of public decision-making and their right to participate therein.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- States should also ensure that the diversity of persons with disabilities is represented and consulted in decision-making processes related to the right to social protection. However, persons with autism, intellectual impairment and psychosocial disabilities, as well as children and older persons with disabilities are often excluded from such consultations, because they are less likely to have their own representative organizations. Finally, indigenous persons with disabilities and persons with disabilities living below the poverty line or in rural or remote areas, face additional, multi-faceted barriers to participation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 81
- Paragraph text
- Implementing a social protection system not only entails having legislation and policies in place, but also financial resources and institutions with the capacity to implement and monitor them. The obligation of progressive realization compels States to take appropriate measures to the maximum of their available resources towards the full realization of the right to social protection. This concept should not be understood as discharging States from any obligations until they have sufficient resources. On the contrary, States must take constant steps to improve the enjoyment of the right to social protection of persons with disabilities, with a time - bound plan and measurable benchmarks to help monitor progress.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- States have various obligations of immediate effect in relation to the right of persons with disabilities to social protection, which include: the elimination of discrimination in the exercise of this right, the promotion of gender equality, securing access to social protection and ensuring a minimum essential level of benefits for all persons with disabilities and their families. These minimum essential levels constitute the core of nationally defined social protection floors and are crucial to securing an adequate standard of living for persons with disabilities, including basic subsistence, essential primary health care, basic shelter and housing, and basic forms of education. States must meet these core obligations even if their resources are scarce.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- To guarantee progressive realization of the right to social protection, States should formulate strategies and plans that include realistic, achievable and measurable indicators and time-bound targets, designed to assess progress in its implementation. In addition, States should adopt adequate laws and policies, and disburse funds to implement these plans and strategies. States must refrain from entrusting private charities with funding responsibility for persons with disabilities, owing to the unsustainability of this approach and the possible negative impact on the rights of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- In practice, since the financial crisis of 2008, many countries have been reducing their social protection systems, disproportionately affecting persons with disabilities. In some countries, austerity measures include cuts in or caps on disability benefits, stricter eligibility criteria, the elimination or reduction of subsidies and tax credits, and reduced expenditure on community support services, such as in-home services and personal assistance. These cuts are not only affecting the standard of living of those who relied on such benefits, but also limit their capacity to live independently, often leading to their institutionalization.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- The obligation of progressive realization prohibits deliberate retrogressive measures in the exercise of the right to social protection. According to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, States can only justify a retrogressive measure if it is introduced after the most careful consideration of all other alternatives, and if duly justified by reference to the totality of the rights enshrined in the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. States must also demonstrate that the affected groups participated in the assessment of the proposed measures and alternatives; that the measures are not directly or indirectly discriminatory; and that they will not have a sustained impact on the realization of the right to social protection.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- Lastly, international cooperation plays a crucial role in supporting national efforts for the realization of the right to social protection of persons with disabilities, for example by ensuring that official development aid is inclusive of, and accessible by, persons with disabilities; facilitating and supporting capacity- building; enabling cooperation in research and access to scientific and technical knowledge; and providing technical and economic assistance, as appropriate. South-to-South and triangular cooperation, in particular, can reinforce national ownership of efforts in relation to social protection and persons with disabilities. In all cases, international cooperation must be provided in a manner that is consistent with the human rights of persons with disabilities, and in a sustainable and culturally appropriate manner. States should promote disability-inclusive international cooperation in partnership with relevant international and regional organizations, including financial institutions, and civil society, especially organizations of persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Securing the right of persons with disabilities to social protection must be a priority for States and the international community. Inclusive social protection systems, including social protection floors, can contribute significantly to supporting the social participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities by ensuring income security and access to social services. They can also play an important role in fostering the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals for persons with disabilities. For that purpose, States must move away from traditional disability-welfare approaches and turn towards rights-based ones, and must develop comprehensive social protection systems that guarantee benefits and access to services for all persons with disabilities across the life cycle. The inclusion of persons with disabilities in social protection systems is not only a human rights issue, but also a crucial investment for development that States cannot afford to miss.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 88b
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States with the aim of assisting them in developing and implementing disability- inclusive social protection systems:] Implement comprehensive and inclusive social protection systems that mainstream disability in all programmes and interventions, and ensure access to specific programmes and services for disability-related needs. Social protection systems should be made available, accessible, adequate and affordable for persons with disabilities;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Thematic discussion on the situation of people of African descent in the context of the International Year for People of African Descent 2011 2011, para. 113
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group underlines the need for the criminalization of racism and racial discrimination, in accordance with article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Working Group concludes that the deleterious effects of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery can still be found in racist attitudes towards, and the conditions of existence of, people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Thematic discussion on the situation of people of African descent in the context of the International Year for People of African Descent 2011 2011, para. 117
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group urges States and specialized agencies of the United Nations, as appropriate, to implement, as a priority, the provisions pertaining to people of African descent in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the Outcome Document of the Durban Review Conference, as well as the present and previous recommendations of the Working Group.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Access to justice for people living in poverty 2012, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- [States should:]
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Thematic discussion on the situation of people of African descent in the context of the International Year for People of African Descent 2011 2011, para. 112
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group notes the absence from its tenth session of many Western and a significant number of Caribbean countries. The Working Group believes that their presence would enhance and enrich the discussion on the improvement of the conditions of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Despite these considerations, it appears that various countries with records of attacks do criminalize witchcraft, using a definition of the phenomena in their legislation. However, most of these laws were inherited from the colonial period and are often out of touch with present reality. They bear a limited understanding of witchcraft - its extent, scope, flexibility and evolution - and proffer a definition of the phenomena that is difficult to enforce.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- States should ensure that provisions relating to the access of persons with disabilities to social protection are included in disability-specific legislation and in mainstream legislation and policy on social protection. Indeed, the review process should encompass legislative areas beyond the traditional scope of social insurance and disability-specific laws, including for instance legislation on education, health, employment, housing and social inclusion.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- Third, in the case of means-tested programmes, income thresholds are usually determined at the household level through direct means-testing or proxy means- testing. These instruments tend to overlook the extra cost of disability and, when it is considered, an individual assessment of personal and environmental factors affecting that cost is hardly ever made. Thus, persons with disabilities with higher support needs tend to be overlooked.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Thematic discussion on structural discrimination against people of African descent 2010, para. 114
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group is conscious of the fact that structural discrimination against people of African descent has deep historic roots and manifests itself in a unique and multidimensional manner due to the double legacy of slavery and colonialism.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- The Working Group and UNESCO should work together to ensure that the general history of African and People of African descent is promoted among Africans during the International Decade. The Working Group will continue to strengthen its relationship with academia on the situation of people of African descent.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- People of African descent and African organizations and communities should establish a network to facilitate trade and cultural exchange, and promote interaction and collaboration.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- People of African descent should therefore be consulted in the construction of new monuments and the development of memorial sites. Gender balance and diversity should be taken into consideration in the construction of new monuments and memorial sites.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- The development of the ninth volume of the General History of Africa by UNESCO, should also focus on the new aims for Africa and on the African diaspora and its challenges.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- Data is also extremely useful for national equality bodies and national human rights institutions in monitoring and investigating cases of racial discrimination, planning and orienting their work, and designing national awareness campaigns.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- There is a need for States to reconcile their obligation to ensure protection of data and the right to privacy, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to remove bans in constitutions and laws in collecting the data.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The present report and the range of activities in which the Working Group has been involved during the reporting period demonstrate that the Working Group has embraced the opportunity provided by its mandate to popularize the idea that the human rights, inherent dignity and fundamental freedoms of people of African descent are important and must be respected.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 24
- Paragraph text
- In an environment where having albinism is regarded as a curse and where the myth that albinism can be contracted like a contagious disease is prevalent, crossing the road to avoid walking near or refusing to shake hands with persons with albinism is commonplace.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- There is also a pressing need for intense field research into the root causes of and trends in attacks in order for the phenomenon to be adequately understood and adequate measures taken.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 25
- Paragraph text
- Recent cases of body-parts trafficking that were brought to the attention of the Independent Expert by civil society include cases where law enforcement agencies acted promptly and were able to prevent the sale and save the persons with albinism involved. In a few other cases, however, the body parts were harvested and have still not been recovered.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- The term "persons with disabilities" under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has a broad scope and includes any person with a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment, which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder his or her full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The phenomena have many connotations and are subject to many interpretations, such that objective definitions are unsatisfactory; "[the] real meaning derives from relationships, shared experiences and individual feelings". Consequently the "meanings … are so varied because the concept is so versatile".
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 30
- Paragraph text
- Civil society and other reliable sources have reported more than 600 cases of attacks against persons with albinism across 26 countries, the majority of them in the last eight years. These are only the known cases. The frequency of family involvement in attacks against persons with albinism and the lack of comprehensive monitoring of attacks have an impact on the gathering of complete data.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 34
- Paragraph text
- Accusations of witchcraft and related violence are one of the most visible and reported manifestations of belief in witchcraft. While reports indicate that persons with albinism are mainly affected by the muti and juju forms of witchcraft-related violence, mothers of children with albinism and children born with albinism have also reportedly been accused of witchcraft.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Harmful Practices
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- While defining witchcraft as an element of crime raises issues, witchcraft accusations could be objectively defined without defining witchcraft. Therefore, to suppress witchcraft accusations, they could be proscribed with legislation, enforceable with relative ease.
- Body
- Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of persons with disabilities to social protection 2015, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Further work, including research and international cooperation, is required to support States in the design of simpler, more effective and more holistic targeting mechanisms, which would also inform States about the barriers faced by persons with disabilities and the support they need.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 68q
- Paragraph text
- [States should also:] Improve quality standards of educational in public education systems;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Discussion on "Recognition through Education, Cultural Rights and Data Collection" 2013, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- Cultural rights are inalienable human rights.
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Activities of the Working Group 2014, para. 82r
- Paragraph text
- [States should also:] Develop truly inclusive classroom pedagogy for all, with culturally relevant curriculums, that celebrates the history and contribution of people of African descent;
- Body
- Working Group of experts on people of African descent
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph