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The implications of States’ surveillance of communications on the exercise of the human rights to privacy and to freedom of opinion and expression 2013, para. 51
- Paragraph text
- Inadequate legal standards increase the risk of individuals being exposed to violation of their human rights, including the right to privacy and the right to freedom of expression. They also have an adverse impact on certain groups of individuals - for example, members of certain political parties, trade unionists or national, ethnic and linguistic minorities - who may be more vulnerable to State communications surveillance. Without strong legal protections in place, journalists, human rights defenders and political activists risk being subjected to arbitrary surveillance activities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 54
- Paragraph text
- The process of registering an association may prove to be cumbersome for marginalized groups and exclude groups such minorities or persons with disabilities. For example, the language used to communicate could be inaccessible, and physical access to locations for registration could also be a challenge for those groups. Mandatory registration, particularly where authorities have broad discretion to grant or deny registration, provides an opportunity for the State to refuse or delay registration to groups that do not espouse "favourable" views. Associations formed to defend human rights, engage in civic awareness, and to lobby and advocate are susceptible to such delays and denials, as has reportedly been the case in the Sudan.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation projects 2015, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- In many cases, the most egregious violations of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in the context of natural resource exploitation are committed against groups and individuals inhabiting regions far from centres of power, who are often at risk or already marginalized within society. They may lack access to information or the means of effectively advocating for their concerns, or they may be confronted with authorities are that are unable or unwilling to address their grievances. The ability to freely associate and to peacefully assemble are indispensable in this regard. Some of the categories of persons that require special attention in the context of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and of natural resource exploitation are women (including women human rights defenders), Afro-descendants, indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, fisher folk and forest dwellers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
On the Declaration on human rights defenders 2011, para. 46a
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression has emphasized that restrictions on the following dimensions of the right to freedom of expression are not permissible:] Discussion of Government policies and political debate; reporting on human rights, Government activities and corruption in government; engaging in election campaigns, peaceful demonstrations or political activities, including for peace or democracy; and expression of opinion and dissent, religion or belief, including by persons belonging to minorities or vulnerable groups;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Global trends in risks and threats facing human rights defenders 2015, para. 93a
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur recommends that States adopt the following measures:] Do more to disseminate the work of defenders and to support their work through campaigns and specific communication and information activities that pay tribute, in particular, to the contributions made by certain categories of defender, such as women; defenders of the rights of lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons; defenders working in the area of corporate social responsibility and land-related rights; defenders of the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples; and defenders who combat impunity and corruption;
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2015
Paragraph
Environmental human rights defenders 2016, para. 31
- Paragraph text
- Reports also indicate that most individuals and groups facing threats are those who oppose land grabbing, extractive industries, the industrial timber trade and large-scale development projects. Indigenous communities and ethnic and racial minorities are particularly vulnerable (see A/HRC/24/41 and A/71/291). They are the most affected because the resources exploited are usually located in their lands; they lack legal protection while exerting strong and vocal opposition; many indigenous communities do not hold formal title over the land they inhabit; and their access to justice is limited.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Corporate responsibility with respect to indigenous rights 2010, para. 57
- Paragraph text
- Given that customary land tenure is one of the specific features characterizing the large majority of indigenous peoples worldwide, and a basic factor in the international recognition of their rights, the mere existence of such groups in the areas where companies plan to carry out their activities must be considered by those companies as a strong indication that those groups have some sort of rights over the land and resources that they occupy or otherwise use. Furthermore, companies cannot, in the exercise of due diligence, assume that the absence of official recognition of indigenous communal ownership rights implies that such rights do not exist.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Economic Rights
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
The right of indigenous peoples to development with culture and identity, the right of indigenous peoples to participation and the obligation of States to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2010, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- A third aspect of the external dimension of the right to participation is the involvement of indigenous peoples in decision-making in the international arena. Although indigenous peoples have achieved historic accomplishments at the international level, continued efforts need to be made to ensure the active involvement of indigenous peoples in the development of all international standards and programmes that concern them. Potential reforms within international institutions and platforms of decision-making that affect indigenous peoples' lives should be closely examined, and measures should be taken or strengthened to provide financial and other support to enable indigenous peoples to participate effectively at the international level.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
Paragraph
Overview of the activities carried during the first three-year term of the mandate 2011, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- The specific characteristics of the consultation procedure that is required by the duty to consult will necessarily vary depending on the nature of the proposed measure and the scope of its impact on indigenous peoples. For example, constitutional or legislative reform measures that concern or affect all the indigenous peoples of a country will require appropriate consultation and representative mechanisms that will in some way be open to and reach all indigenous peoples. By contrast, measures that affect particular indigenous peoples or communities, such as initiatives for extracting natural resources in their territories, will require consultation procedures focused on the interests of and engagement with the affected groups.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Overview of the activities carried during the first three-year term of the mandate 2011, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- The character of the consultation procedure and its object are also shaped by the nature of the right or interest at stake for the indigenous peoples concerned and the anticipated impact of the proposed measure. Necessarily, the strength of the objective of achieving consent varies according to the circumstances, the indigenous peoples' rights and the interests involved. A significant, direct impact on indigenous peoples' lives establishes a strong presumption that the proposed measure should not go forward without indigenous peoples' consent. In certain contexts, that presumption may harden into a prohibition of the measure or project in the absence of indigenous consent.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Overview of the activities carried during the first three-year term of the mandate 2011, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- Still, in all cases in which indigenous peoples' particular interests are affected by a proposed measure, obtaining their consent should, to some degree, be an objective of the consultation. The principles of good faith imply an effort to build dialogue in which both States and indigenous peoples are to work towards consensus and try in earnest to arrive at a mutually satisfactory agreement. All parties should be willing to listen and compromise on their positions and defend their legitimate interests and arrive at agreements that are binding on all.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
Overview of the activities carried during the first three-year term of the mandate 2011, para. 79
- Paragraph text
- Most fundamentally, the duty to consult derives from the overarching right of indigenous peoples to self-determination and from related principles of democracy and popular sovereignty. It responds to the aspirations of indigenous peoples worldwide to be in control of their own destinies under conditions of equality and to participate effectively in decision-making processes that affect them. Consistent with such principles, the duty of States to consult with indigenous peoples in decisions affecting them is aimed at reversing the historical pattern of excluding indigenous people from decision-making processes in order to avoid imposing important decisions on them in the future and to allow them to flourish as distinct communities on lands to which their cultures remain attached.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The need to harmonize activities affecting indigenous peoples within the United Nations system 2012, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- In any event, the Special Rapporteur would like to take advantage of the unique opportunity that he has in reporting to the General Assembly, to bring the attention of Member States to some of the current programmes and processes within the United Nations system that are of particular interest to indigenous peoples. The following examples are by no means exhaustive, and the Special Rapporteur expects to provide further observations on these and other United Nations activities throughout the remainder of his mandate, especially in his assessment of specific country situations, where appropriate.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Strengthening commitment to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its implementation 2013, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- It is precisely because the human rights of indigenous groups have been denied, with disregard for their particular characteristics, that there is a need for the Declaration. In other words, the Declaration exists because indigenous peoples have been denied equality, self-determination, and related human rights, and not in order to grant them privilege over others. This remedy should not have to exist, just as the history of oppression that gives rise to it should not have been. But that history did occur, and its ongoing consequences make necessary a global remedial response that is appropriate to indigenous peoples' particular circumstances and characteristics, which is what the Declaration represents.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Strengthening commitment to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its implementation 2013, para. 73
- Paragraph text
- A centrepiece of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is article 3, which affirms: "Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development." During the more than two-decade debate that preceded the adoption of the Declaration, it was increasingly understood that self-determination is a foundational principle that anchors the constellation of indigenous peoples' rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Strengthening commitment to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its implementation 2013, para. 77
- Paragraph text
- Whatever the validity of that position, it is clear that the right to self-determination affirmed in the Declaration, like the right as affirmed in international law generally, has a core meaning around which there is substantial consensus. That meaning, essentially, is that indigenous peoples have the right to pursue their own destinies in all spheres of life, under conditions of equality, and to live within governing institutional orders that are devised accordingly. The focus of States, along with that of relevant international institutions and indigenous peoples themselves, should be on strengthening commitment to this core principle and taking practical steps to implement it.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Extractive industries and indigenous peoples 2013, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The rights to freedom of expression and to participation are firmly established in international human rights law. By virtue of these rights, indigenous individuals and peoples have the right to oppose and actively express opposition to extractive projects, both in the context of State decision-making about the projects and otherwise, including by organizing and engaging in peaceful acts of protest. States are bound to respect and protect rights of freedom of expression and participation, and may impose limitations on the exercise of those rights only within narrow bounds and for reasons of public order.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Ongoing obstacles to the full realization of indigenous peoples’ rights; vision for the mandate 2014, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Yet, the steps outlined above will still not resolve some of the more complex issues related to implementation. There are still conflicting interpretations among key actors of the content of core rights of indigenous peoples and disagreement about how rights are to be applied in specific situations, especially when competing rights and interests may be at stake and balancing of rights needs to take place. Differing interpretations of rights by States, indigenous peoples, business enterprises, non-governmental organizations and others result in an uneven application of the standards and stymie progress in implementation. The Special Rapporteur has observed that differences in interpretation exist especially in relation to rights to lands and resources; the application of the duty of States to consult with and seek the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples in matters that affect them; and harmonizing State and customary indigenous governance and justice systems.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Ongoing obstacles to the full realization of indigenous peoples’ rights; vision for the mandate 2014, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- First of all, it is necessary to understand the linkages between indigenous peoples' current disadvantaged situations and their history of being denied self-determination land and resource rights, and related rights essential to their economic and social development. In fact, development around the world has historically taken place and still takes place today at the expense of indigenous peoples; it has often been the case that indigenous peoples' lands and resources have been taken, to their detriment and to the benefit of the development of others. Responses aimed at bettering the social and economic situation of indigenous peoples must take that history into account and attempt to restore to indigenous peoples what has been lost, including sufficient land to ensure a basis for economic development, and the means to exercise their self-determination over their development. Indeed, numerous studies have shown that increasing indigenous peoples' control over their internal decision-making results in better economic growth outcomes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Economic Rights
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
Paragraph
Conservation measures and their impact on indigenous peoples’ rights 2016, para. 22
- Paragraph text
- Self-determination is a right in itself and is also a necessary pre-condition for the fulfilment of other human rights. The right is a fundamental principle in international law and has been interpreted in a variety of legal contexts. Self determination is considered an overarching right to indigenous peoples because of its cross-cutting nature and because it affirms their right to freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. It is crucial to the issue of land conservation efforts because of its links with land rights and the right to participate within processes and decisions affecting them, such as the establishment and management of protected areas. The right to self-determination is enshrined within both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966, article 1) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966, article 1) and is included in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007, article 3). Human rights treaty bodies, notably the Human Rights Committee, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, have all affirmed, in analogous terms, that States must recognize and protect the rights of indigenous peoples to own, develop, control and use their communal lands and to participate in the management and conservation of the associated natural resources. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Human Rights Committee have underlined the importance of the provision of land titles on the ancestral lands by linking the right to self-determination with cultural rights (article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights). The Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) of the International Labour Organization (ILO) enshrines land rights for indigenous peoples in articles 14 to 19). The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which consolidates the rights of indigenous peoples already recognized in other human rights instruments and through the jurisprudence of the international human rights treaty bodies, affirms the right of indigenous peoples to own and control their lands (articles 25, 26 and 27).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Conservation measures and their impact on indigenous peoples’ rights 2016, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- Respect for the right to participate and to free, prior and informed consent are sine qua non elements of effective advancement of indigenous peoples' rights in practice. ILO Convention No. 169 sets out the duty of States to consult indigenous peoples through appropriate procedures and in particular through their representative institutions, whenever consideration is being given to legislative or administrative measures which may affect them directly (article 6). Human rights treaty bodies have consistently affirmed the principle of free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples in matters relating to their rights and interests and specifically in relation to their ancestral lands and conservation.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
Conservation measures and their impact on indigenous peoples’ rights 2016, para. 26
- Paragraph text
- ILO Convention No. 169 (article 16) and the Declaration on the Rights on Indigenous Peoples (article 10) stipulate that indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands unless they have provided their free, prior and informed consent. Should such violations have occurred, they have the right to fair reparation including restitution and compensation and, where possible, the option of returning to their lands. Article 28 of the Declaration furthermore stresses the right of indigenous peoples to redress, by means that can include restitution or, when this is not possible, just, fair and equitable compensation, for the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned or otherwise occupied or used, and which have been confiscated, taken, occupied, used or damaged without their free, prior and informed consent. Unless otherwise freely agreed upon by the peoples concerned, compensation shall take the form of lands, territories and resources equal in quality, size and legal status or of monetary compensation or other appropriate redress.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Environment
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- In countries where political power is seen to be concentrated in the hands of one or a few identity groups, it is common for those groups to be disproportionately represented in the public service, which can be a powerful source of tension. The adequate representation of minorities at all levels and in all branches of the criminal justice system, for example, can have particularly important implications for relations between disadvantaged communities and the Government. Negative encounters with police or security forces at the local level shape minority perceptions of their treatment and acceptance by the State.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights requires that "(i)n those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language". The Declaration further elaborates the rights of minorities and the obligations upon States. Numerous provisions within the Declaration require positive measures in legislation, policy and programming to ensure the full and effective participation of minorities in public life. Their implementation may best be achieved through a national policy and institutional framework incorporating targeted attention to minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Priorities for the work of the Independent Expert and the twentieth anniversary of the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities 2012, para. 23
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert is particularly concerned about the situation of religious minorities in all regions. Information received by the mandate of the independent expert and the work of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, as well as other thematic mandates, have revealed disturbing attacks and violence against members of religious minorities and their places of worship, affecting Buddhist, Christian, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslim, and other religious minorities in several regions. Such violent attacks have been documented in numerous countries and different regions and are not confined to any one region. Long-standing and new forms of anti-religious extremism and the use of the internet and social media to spread hate speech and encourage discrimination and violence must be condemned at the highest levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 85
- Paragraph text
- When they have easy access to institutions providing channels of complaint and remedy, including in their own languages, minorities are more likely to engage such bodies, and bring complaints of discrimination, which too often go unreported and unchallenged. Institutional attention to minority issues conveys a positive message to minorities, namely, that government recognizes their issues and concerns, and is committed to finding solutions to challenges involving minorities; and it also helps to instil confidence within communities. This may be particularly important in times of political and social upheaval, or administrative or regime change, or following conflict involving or impacting upon minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The full and effective participation of minorities is fundamental to the realization of minority rights and a key objective of national institutional attention to minorities. Effective attention can be achieved only with the participation of minorities, both as staff and as partners in the work of institutions addressing minority issues. It should always be remembered that minorities are members of society and should have their full say on issues involving all aspects of society, and not only on those issues of particular minority concern. In cases where they do not have that say, institutional attention to minority rights and minority issues is a means of enhancing their participation in all aspects of the economic, social and political life and development of their countries.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
Paragraph
Minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities 2013, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The scope of both minority rights and freedom of religion or belief is wide and inclusive. This is clear from the relevant norms enshrined in articles 18 and 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the related General Comments 22 and 23 of the Human Rights Committee relating to the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and minority rights, respectively. Minorities are to enjoy culture, religion and language, and freedom of religion or belief is to include manifestation in "worship, observance, practice and teaching". This scope is also upheld in other instruments such as articles 14 and 30 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Those standards therefore call upon States to seek to allow for and actively facilitate the adequate functioning of religious minorities in all their related activities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- In some national contexts Governments have imposed prohibitive restrictions on the use of minority languages in public spheres, including in political life. Under such circumstances minorities have even faced prosecution for exercising their right to use their language publicly, for example in the context of political campaigns. Such actions may be imposed in the context of efforts to stringently enforce the use of a single national language or assimilate minority communities via restrictions on their language use. In some cases, inter-ethnic or inter-religious conflict may motivate such restrictions designed to marginalize and exclude a particular population group. Few cases have been reported of restrictions on the use of minority languages in private life; however, aggressive promotion of a national language and restrictions on education in the mother tongue may be interpreted by members of a minority as attempts to assimilate them or eradicate minority language use in all spheres.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph
Rights of linguistic minorities 2013, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- In some countries the use of minority languages has been deemed a threat to national unity and an attempt by minorities to reinforce territorial or separatist claims and has consequently been restricted or banned. Restrictions on language use have been reported alongside alleged prohibitions on aspects of cultural life, including song or theatre performances in minority languages, or political and civil society activities. In those contexts minority languages may become highly emotive issues, and such prohibition is a significant cause of grievances for minority communities. Any restriction on the use of minority languages and freedom of expression must be fully justified and proportionate. Attempts to prohibit or abolish the use of minority languages constitute a gross violation of minority rights.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
Paragraph