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Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 86
- Paragraph text
- The mandate of the Special Rapporteur thus complements and enhances the work of the Forum, and the Special Rapporteur has fostered the complementary and mutual reinforcement of both mechanisms throughout her tenure. She has guided a total of six sessions of the Forum on the following themes: "Guaranteeing the rights of minority women" (2011), "Implementing the United Nations declaration on minority rights: identifying positive practices and opportunities" (2012), "Guaranteeing the rights of religious minorities" (2013), "Preventing and addressing violence and atrocity crimes targeted against minorities" (2014), "Minorities in the criminal justice system" (2015) and "Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises" (2016). Since 2013, the Special Rapporteur has devoted her annual thematic report to the General Assembly to the same topic as the Forum session, as a means to contribute to and inform the discussions within the Forum. The Special Rapporteur notes that the themes she selected for the annual sessions focused on areas that had emerged as particularly concerning or problematic for minorities and where they believed that minority rights should be better applied and mainstreamed. She believes that the Forum makes a vital contribution to deepening international understanding on these important and topical areas as well as to international standard and norm setting.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 48
- Paragraph text
- Core international human rights treaties build upon the principle of the inherent dignity and equality of all persons, which is recalled in their respective preambles, and enshrine the rights to equality and non-discrimination of all persons, as well as the equal enjoyment of human rights for men and women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 56
- Paragraph text
- International standards recognize that proactive measures designed to protect and promote the rights of prisoners with special needs are required. As recognized by the Luanda Guidelines on the Conditions of Arrest, Police Custody and Pretrial Detention in Africa, this requirement should be understood to include vulnerable minorities. Such measures, including special programmes for minority women and children in custody, should be developed in consultation with the affected prisoners and minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- Consultative mechanisms can provide useful opportunities for minority participation as supplements when equal participation in elected bodies is insufficient because the minority community is too small to impact an election. Such consultative bodies can be ad hoc, set up to address a particular issue, or they can be formalized structures at the national, regional and local levels. They may be general, such as minority round tables, or related to specific matters, such as housing, land, education, language or culture. They may be part of the institutional structure of Government and there may be a legal requirement that they be consulted on particular matters. For such mechanisms to be effective, it is important that consultative bodies have a clear legal status, that the obligation to consult them is established in law and that their involvement in decision-making processes is of a regular, meaningful and permanent nature. Such bodies should be properly resourced and attention should be paid to the representativeness of their members, who should be chosen by the minority community through transparent procedures. It is important that the members appointed have the requisite qualifications to carry out the work and that they be truly representative, including of minority women. Finally, these structures must be commensurate with the needs of minority communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- This principle has been articulated in several legal instruments which allow for the adoption of special measures. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination permits the implementation of special measures "for the sole purpose of securing adequate advancement of certain racial or ethnic groups or individuals requiring such protection as may be necessary in order to ensure such groups or individuals equal enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms" (art. 1, para. 4). The Convention goes on (art. 2, para. 2) to refer to special and concrete measures taken by States parties in the social, economic, cultural and other fields, the purpose of which is to guarantee the full and equal enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women also allows for "temporary special measures" which accelerate the de facto equality between men and women (art. 4, para. 1). At the regional level, the same approach is taken in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which allows States parties to "adopt, where necessary, adequate measures in order to promote, in all areas of economic, social, political and cultural life, full and effective equality between persons belonging to a national minority and those belonging to the majority" (art. 4, para. 2). Special measures do not constitute discrimination and therefore should not be considered such.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Furthermore, all forms of racial discrimination are explicitly prohibited and equality in the enjoyment of political rights is guaranteed by the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (art. 5). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women creates an obligation on States to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country (art. 7).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Additionally, the Special Rapporteur organized separate meetings with minority women during her country visits to enable free and open discussions with them. Similarly, she frequently reached out to youth groups and organizations to listen to their views and recommendations. Wherever possible and necessary, the Special Rapporteur included the issues of women and girls in separate sections of her thematic and country reports to enhance their visibility and help raise awareness on their very specific challenges and situations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- As part of her ongoing engagement with the treaty bodies in relation to the Forum, the independent expert held her first official dialogue with the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women during its forty-fifth session in New York on 5 August 2009. She was invited to discuss the Forum on Minorities and education and its recommendations, as well as preparations for the second annual Forum. The Committee welcomed the opportunity for collaboration and agreed that collaboration would continue and an expert member would attend the second session.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- Police, prosecutors, judges and lawyers should demonstrate sensitivity and cultural familiarity when questioning or taking testimony from minority victims. For instance, the Special Rapporteur has been a witness to the questioning of a Roma woman who had been sterilized without her consent, and faced serious cultural and religious challenges in explaining her experience to the authorities. The rude response of the authorities imposed additional suffering, thereby deepening the impact of the original violation. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) publication entitled "The status and role of prosecutors: a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and International Association of Prosecutors guide" recommends that protocols be established to guide prosecutors when dealing personally with those who require special assistance, so as to ensure their full participation in the criminal process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities 2013, para. 53
- Paragraph text
- Religious minorities should always be able to avail themselves of complaints procedures and civil remedies in the courts. Nevertheless, barriers often exist to their access to justice, which must be addressed. Minorities may be reluctant to bring complaints to the police owing to hostility or the reluctance of authorities to receive their complaints, or general poor relations of religious minorities with law enforcement bodies. Women may face particular problems or anxiety in bringing complaints. Where the courts are, or are perceived to be, highly influenced by the dominant State religion, minorities may feel that such justice bodies are inappropriate to their needs, especially where national laws discriminate against them. Religiously diverse societies should take steps to ensure that religious minorities are represented in law enforcement bodies and the judiciary and that, where appropriate, training or special judicial mechanisms that meet the needs of religious minorities are put in place.
- 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
- Women
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 81
- Paragraph text
- Two side-events on issues related to the rights of minority women and girls were organized in the margins of the fourth session of the Forum. The first side event on 29 November, organized by OHCHR, focused on empowering minority women to claim their rights within their communities as well as organizational and institutional bodies and mechanisms that can be effective in empowering and building the capacity of minority women. Panellists included Mercedes Barquet (Mexico), member of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice; Atieno Junnipher Kere (Kenya), Women In Fishing Industry Programme; Renu Sijapati (Nepal), Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO); Beata Bislim Olahova (Slovakia), Roma Education Fund; and Leonardo Reales Martinez (Colombia), AFROLATINOS and ECODESARROLLO.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 73
- Paragraph text
- At its second session, the Forum recommended, inter alia, that States should ensure that all mechanisms, procedures and institutions established to promote and increase the political participation of persons belonging to minorities take into account the specific needs of minority women. The political rights of women are established in, inter alia, article 7 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, whereby women are guaranteed the rights to vote, to hold public office and to exercise public functions. Minorities often lack a say in national and local bodies responsible for policy, including in relation to economic life, national development and budgeting, and this is doubly the case for minority women. Consequently, the issues and situations of minority women may be neglected or not be given the priority that is required to achieve meaningful change.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 66
- Paragraph text
- The fourth session of the Forum was expertly chaired by Ms. Graciela Dixon of Panama, and achieved excellent participation by diverse stakeholders, including over 80 United Nations Member States from all regions, and experts identified on the basis of their belonging to a minority group and having particular expertise and experience in the field of the rights of women belonging to minorities. United Nations bodies, mechanisms and specialized agencies participated, including UNICEF and UN Women, as well as expert Members of United Nations treaty bodies, notably the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Many NGOs were active participants and facilitated the participation of persons belonging to minorities from every region.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 32
- Paragraph text
- The independent expert emphasizes that the fourth session of the Forum on Minority Issues held in November 2011, was dedicated to "guaranteeing the rights of minority women and girls" (see Section VI below) and produced a series of concrete recommendations to protect the rights of minority girls and women (A/HRC/19/71). The independent expert considers that these recommendations provide an essential resource and tool, produced through an inclusive process involving key stakeholders, including States and minority women themselves. In this regard she will focus attention on activities and initiatives to promote awareness and implementation of these recommendations in every region and seek opportunities to assist States and civil society in their efforts to operationalize the recommendations.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- Institutions, including ministries, may decide to have dedicated advisers, consultant posts or focal points within their institutional structures that have responsibility for minority issues. While such posts provide relatively low-level institutional attention, compared with dedicated institutions or departments, they can nevertheless fulfil important functions, raise awareness of minority issues in key policy and programme areas, and demonstrate institutional will to respond to minority concerns. Where advisory posts or focal points exist in different ministries, they may have the potential to promote coordination and information-sharing and joint projects. Given the specialist nature of such roles, priority should be given to the recruitment of minorities, including minority women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role and activities of national institutional mechanisms in promoting and protecting minority rights 2012, para. 45
- Paragraph text
- A 2009 Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) global survey of national human rights institutions revealed that minorities are poorly represented, with less than half rating their governing body as diverse. It also revealed that minorities are poorly represented as staff at all levels. Minority women are often particularly poorly represented and concrete measures should be taken, including outreach and training initiatives targeted at minorities and specifically at minority women. National institutions should lead by example and ensure that their staff and members fully and publicly reflect the diversity within society. They should be transparent and accountable in their processes to appoint senior representatives. Problems of legitimacy and community trust can result when appointments are considered to have been political or tokenistic and not to have involved minority communities or to have reflected their preferences.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The right to effective participation is further upheld in provisions within existing regional human rights treaties. These include the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, the American Convention on Human Rights and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention on Human Rights) protects the right to free elections through its Protocol No. 1 (art. 3) and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities creates an obligation for States to ensure the effective participation of persons belonging to national minorities (art. 15). Comparable provisions on the prohibition of discrimination are also contained in the regional human rights treaties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and effective political participation: a survey of law and national practices 2010, para. 83
- Paragraph text
- In some States, there is a strong demand from communities to have their traditional governance structures respected. Such structures may include systems whereby elders are consulted by community members and decide on important matters, whether they involve individual members or the community collectively. Communities may also have recognized customary laws or a code of behaviour, and these may or may not be written. Whether written or unwritten, it is critically important that such traditional governance structures include women and other marginalized groups in decision-making positions and apply international human rights principles fully in all aspects of their activities. With this proviso, initiatives whereby traditionally recognized community leaders are incorporated into formal government structures and legislatures are welcome and contribute to a better realization of the right to effective participation. Moreover, elders may play a role in conflict management, for instance by acting as arbiters in disputes between community members.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
18 shown of 18 entities