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Title | Date added | Template | Original document | Paragraph text | Body | Document type | Thematics | Topic(s) | Person(s) affected | Year |
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Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 23 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | From the sociological and anthropological perspectives, the following definition for witchcraft has been proposed by Marc Augé: witchcraft is "a set of beliefs, structured and shared by a given population that addresses the origin of misfortune, illness and death, and the set of practices for detection, treatment and punishment that corresponds to these beliefs". Often, the diagnostic aspect of witchcraft often pinpoints an individual person as the source of the misfortune within the family, place of employment or community. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2017 | ||
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 36 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2017 | ||
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 62 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2017 | ||
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 87 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2017 | ||
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 32 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2017 | ||
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 15 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | Albinism is a relatively 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. Persons with albinism therefore often appear pale in comparison to members of their family and their communities. For a person to be affected by albinism, both parents must carry the gene, and in such cases there is a 25 per cent chance at each pregnancy that a child will be born with albinism. The frequency of albinism varies by region. In Europe and North America, the reported frequency is 1 in 17,000 to 1 in 20,000 births. The frequency in certain parts of the Pacific is reported to be 1 in 700. Among some indigenous peoples in South America, the reported frequency is 1 in 70 to 1 in 125. In sub-Saharan Africa, the reported frequency ranges from 1 in 5,000 to 1 in 15,000, with prevalence rates of 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,500 for selected populations. An important caveat is that some studies of the frequency of albinism often lack objectivity in their methodology or are incomplete, rendering estimates as best guesses in most instances. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 66 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2017 | ||
Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 38 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Witchcraft and the human rights of persons with albinism 2017, para. 30 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2017 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 7 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 11 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 12 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 51 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | In this context and owing to their visibility in most of the affected communities, persons with albinism, and parents of children with albinism, constantly live in fear of attack. Many do not sleep peacefully and have deliberately restricted their movements to the necessary minimum, during daylight hours and when escorted by trustworthy persons. Mothers have sent their children to live with relatives or in boarding schools. Yet, even there the fear remains, as such establishments are often in need of increased security measures. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 26 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 61 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 49 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 12 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 62 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | The insecurity of persons with albinism is directly affected by their poor living conditions. Some abductions and attacks have reportedly occurred in houses that do not have the most basic security features, including windows, wooden doors or locks. Most families living in such conditions do not have access to a phone line to call for help and do not have any means of transportation to rush persons who have been attacked to the closest medical facilities. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 40 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | Yet, there are several effective ways to prevent skin cancer, including the use of sun protection cream, which is topically applied, or wearing sun-protective clothing with long sleeves, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. Given the accessibility and effectiveness of protective clothing, skin cancer could be significantly prevented at little cost with the right level of public education and early intervention programmes targeting persons with albinism and their families. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 45a | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | [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:] Effective protection of persons with albinism and members of their families; | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 60 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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| 2016 | ||
Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 53 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | The livelihood of parents of children with albinism has also been affected by these atrocities. Owing to the need to stay at home and protect their children, parents do not tend their crops or go to market. Similarly, adults with albinism avoid attending to their farms and gardens as they used to. This has driven families already living in poverty into dire straits. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 23 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | In areas where myths are prevalent, the birth of a child with albinism is often viewed as a social tragedy. Ridicule, blame-throwing, harrowing family intervention and pressure placed on parents or on the mother of the child are commonplace. Because of the social stigma attached to having a child with albinism, fathers of children with albinism sometimes decide to abandon their partners, leaving those children to be brought up in challenging conditions by single mothers. Often, such a single mother and her child are further relegated to the fringes of the community to avoid contaminating others with her "curse". In other instances, mothers voluntarily relocate away from the community to minimize taunts and harassment from others. Therefore, raising a child with albinism in these contexts, either as a single mother or in a family, is synonymous with a life of exclusion and poverty - one that leaves the child with albinism vulnerable to both sexual and physical attack, as has been demonstrated by reported cases. In other cases, children with albinism have been abandoned or rejected from their birth by both mother and father and have grown up in orphanages and on the streets. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 22 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | Myths yield several interrelated consequences. According to contributions received by the Independent Expert, these consequences are manifested in the lives of persons with albinism in the form of abandonment by their families; normalized isolation and discrimination by their communities; vulnerability to attacks; and infanticide. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 52 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | Other children have dropped out of school or have been withdrawn by their family to remain under the protection of their parents. The security of children both on the way to school and at school cannot be ensured, including during recesses. Most rural schools do not have basic security items such as fences to ensure the children's protection. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 27 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 38 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 24 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | 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. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Preliminary survey on the root causes of attacks and discrimination against persons with albinism 2016, para. 57 | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | Furthermore, and given the high number of relatives of persons with albinism involved in such crimes, it could be argued that, in a context where a family member with albinism is often perceived as both a social and economic burden, relatives could be tempted to connive in such attacks, thinking erroneously that in doing so they could earn some income, while alleviating the "curse" or economic burden brought by their family member with albinism. | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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Vision for the mandate 2016, para. 45d | Aug 19, 2019 | Paragraph | [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:] Ensuring that victims and members of their families have access to appropriate remedies; | Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism | Special Procedures' report |
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