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Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 25
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Indigenous children's inability to access education is generally caused by the geographical and political marginalization of indigenous communities. When education is available, it is often blind to the specific needs of indigenous children. Curricula are often not taught in indigenous languages, which undermines indigenous children's ability to achieve school readiness and express their cultural identity in school. National school curricula tend to have very little, if any, focus on indigenous peoples, their issues and histories. Some national curricula even reinforce negative cultural stereotypes about indigenous peoples and indigenous students frequently find that the education provided by the State promotes individualism and a competitive atmosphere, rather than communal ways of life and cooperation. It is also common for indigenous children to experience racism and discrimination and ethnically motivated bullying in school. Furthermore, the education available to indigenous children is not always of adequate quality. The physical buildings in which indigenous children are educated can also fail to be fit for purpose, and teaching staff and materials may also be of poor quality.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous peoples on the impact of international investment and free trade on the human rights of indigenous peoples 2015, para. 37
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- As discussed above, indigenous peoples are not included in the negotiations and drafting of free trade agreements. However, the provisions of those agreements bind their self-governance arrangements and the use of their lands, territories and resources. For example, the United States model bilateral investment treaty is strictly binding on all levels of government, including political subdivisions and other entities that exercise regulatory, administrative or other governmental authority delegated by the national Government. Not having the ability to contribute to the drafting of powerful legal agreements that affect them is a violation of indigenous peoples' right to self-determination, as provided for in article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the right to development. Article 32, paragraph 1, of the Declaration says that "indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands or territories".
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous peoples on the impact of international investment and free trade on the human rights of indigenous peoples 2015, para. 20
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The impact of free trade and international investment agreements on human rights is broadly recognized as including issues such as land rights, environmental degradation, poverty, the State's regulatory and protective capacity, democratic deficit and challenges to the rule of law in relation to the development and enforcement of such agreements and the Government's ability to provide services such as health and water. Those issues have been recognized within the human rights and business agenda. The issue was discussed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, and is included within principle 9 of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The principle articulates that "States should maintain adequate domestic policy space to meet their human rights obligations when pursuing business-related policy objectives with other States or business enterprises, for instance through investment treaties or contracts".
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Ongoing obstacles to the full realization of indigenous peoples’ rights; vision for the mandate 2014, para. 54
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- A crucial element for the success of the Special Rapporteur's mandate will be assessments of the situation of indigenous peoples in specific countries. To the extent that time and resources are limited, such visits will have to be prepared carefully for maximum results. During the first year of her mandate, the Special Rapporteur hopes to carry out country visits within each of the regions. She notes that the previous Special Rapporteurs, in addition to visits to northern countries such as the Nordic countries, the United States and Canada, have carried out numerous visits to the Latin American region. The Special Rapporteur acknowledges that this is due in large part to the openness of countries within the Latin American region to visits by the Special Rapporteur to look into issues related to indigenous peoples. She hopes that countries in other regions, especially in Asia and Africa, will demonstrate a similar openness during the course of her mandate. The Special Rapporteur also envisions that visits to specific countries could feed in to her thematic studies.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Rights of indigenous peoples, including their economic, social and cultural rights in the post-2015 development framework 2014, para. 71
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- When looking at available socioeconomic data disaggregated by ethnicity and gender, there is no doubt that indigenous women experience particular and interrelated forms of discrimination because of their indigenous identity and their gender. Gender-based discrimination is a sad reality in most countries, and it is also found within some indigenous societies where, for example, women may not traditionally have participated in governance institutions or where girls are not encouraged to study. In short, many indigenous women still face additional gender-based discrimination, which leads to disadvantages, marginalization and, in extreme cases, to violence, physical mutilation, trafficking, prostitution and restricted access to justice. On the other hand, there is ample documentation of the strong and crucial roles played by indigenous women in many areas of life, including food production, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, transmission of languages, culture and knowledge, conflict resolution and peacekeeping.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Extractive industries and indigenous peoples 2013, para. 35
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur observes that in a number of cases States have asserted the power to expropriate indigenous property interests in land or surface resources in order to have or permit access to the subsurface resources to which the State claims ownership. Such an expropriation being a limitation of indigenous property rights, even if just compensation is provided, a threshold question in such cases is whether the limitation is pursuant to a valid public purpose. The Special Rapporteur cautions that such a valid public purpose is not found in mere commercial interests or revenue-raising objectives, and certainly not when benefits from the extractive activities are primarily for private gain. It should be recalled that under various sources of international law, indigenous peoples have property, cultural and other rights in relation to their traditional territories, even if those rights are not held under a title deed or other form of official recognition. Limitations of all those rights of indigenous peoples must, at a minimum, be backed by a valid public purpose within a human rights framework, just as with limitations on rights formally recognized by the State.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Environment
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Overview of the activities carried during the first three-year term of the mandate 2011, para. 252
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- We reaffirm that the means of implementation identified in Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development are indispensable for achieving the full and effective translation of sustainable development commitments into tangible sustainable development outcomes. We reiterate that each country has primary responsibility for its own economic and social development and that the role of national policies, domestic resources and development strategies cannot be overemphasized. We reaffirm that developing countries need additional resources for sustainable development. We recognize the need for significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources and the effective use of financing in order to promote sustainable development. We acknowledge that good governance and the rule of law at the national and international levels are essential for sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 43
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- A first aspect of the external dimension has to do with the participation of indigenous peoples in the broader public life of the State, as promoted by article 5 of the Declaration, and is related to the right of all citizens to political participation. This aspect of participation in decision-making within spheres extending beyond indigenous communities is mostly, though not entirely, a matter of the rights of indigenous individuals. As affirmed in particular by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case of Yatama v. Nicaragua, the right of indigenous peoples to participate in the broader public life of the State also includes a collective element, which requires States to enact special measures to ensure the effective participation of indigenous peoples within State political structures and institutions.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Ability of associations to access financial resources as a vital part of the right to freedom of association & Ability to hold peaceful assemblies as an integral component of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly 2013, para. 43
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The ability to hold peaceful assemblies is a fundamental and integral component of the multifaceted right to freedom of peaceful assembly, which shall be enjoyed by everyone. Such ability is of utmost importance to the work of civil society actors, including those promoting the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, as it enables them to publicly voice their message, which ultimately benefits the realization of the right(s) they strive to promote and protect, especially in the context of the ongoing dire economic crisis. This is all the more relevant for groups most at risk of violations and discrimination, such as women, youth, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to minority groups, groups at risk because of their sexual orientation and gender identity and non-nationals.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right of everyone to take part in cultural life (Art. 15, para. 1(a)) 2009, para. 16a
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Paragraph text
- [The following are necessary conditions for the full realization of the right of everyone to take part in cultural life on the basis of equality and non-discrimination.] Availability is the presence of cultural goods and services that are open for everyone to enjoy and benefit from, including libraries, museums, theatres, cinemas and sports stadiums; literature, including folklore, and the arts in all forms; the shared open spaces essential to cultural interaction, such as parks, squares, avenues and streets; nature's gifts, such as seas, lakes, rivers, mountains, forests and nature reserves, including the flora and fauna found there, which give nations their character and biodiversity; intangible cultural goods, such as languages, customs, traditions, beliefs, knowledge and history, as well as values, which make up identity and contribute to the cultural diversity of individuals and communities. Of all the cultural goods, one of special value is the productive intercultural kinship that arises where diverse groups, minorities and communities can freely share the same territory;
- Body
- Treaty bodies: CESCR - Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2009
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right of everyone to take part in cultural life (Art. 15, para. 1(a)) 2009, para. 3
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Paragraph text
- The right of everyone to take part in cultural life is also recognized in article 27, paragraph 1, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community". Other international instruments refer to the right to equal participation in cultural activities; the right to participate in all aspects of social and cultural life; the right to participate fully in cultural and artistic life; the right of access to and participation in cultural life; and the right to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life. Instruments on civil and political rights, on the rights of persons belonging to minorities to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, and to use their own language, in private and in public, and to participate effectively in cultural life, on the rights of indigenous peoples to their cultural institutions, ancestral lands, natural resources and traditional knowledge, and on the right to development also contain important provisions on this subject.
- Body
- Treaty bodies: CESCR - Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2009
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Implementation of article 14 by States parties 2012, para. 32
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Paragraph text
- The principle of non-discrimination is a basic and general principle in the protection of human rights and fundamental to the interpretation and application of the Convention. States parties shall ensure that access to justice and to mechanisms for seeking and obtaining redress are readily available and that positive measures ensure that redress is equally accessible to all persons regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, age, religious belief or affiliation, political or other opinion, national or social origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or other disability, health status, economic or indigenous status, reason for which the person is detained, including persons accused of political offences or terrorist acts, asylum-seekers, refugees or others under international protection, or any other status or adverse distinction, and including those marginalized or made vulnerable on bases such as those above. Culturally sensitive collective reparation measures shall be available for groups with shared identity, such as minority groups, indigenous groups, and others. The Committee notes that collective measures do not exclude the individual right to redress.
- Body
- Treaty bodies: CAT - Committee against Torture
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995, para. 233a
- Document type
- Declaration / Confererence outcome document
- Paragraph text
- [By Governments and non-governmental organizations, the United Nations and other international organizations, as appropriate:] Translate, whenever possible, into local and indigenous languages and into alternative formats appropriate for persons with disabilities and persons at lower levels of literacy, publicize and disseminate laws and information relating to the equal status and human rights of all women, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Declaration on the Right to Development and the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, as well as the outcomes of relevant United Nations conferences and summits and national reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women;
- Body
- Fourth World Conference on Women
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Year
- 1995
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 63
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Minority victims of crimes are entitled to equal access to justice and reparation; indeed, the special needs of minorities should be taken into account in the provision of victim services and assistance. In practice however, these rights are often not respected or fulfilled.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 59
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Laws restricting information about sexual and reproductive health and which censor discussions of homosexuality in the classroom fuel stigma and discrimination of vulnerable minorities. For example, laws and policies that promote abstinence-only education reduce sexual education to images and stereotypes of heteronormativity, given their focus on procreation; some of these programmes even contain explicitly discriminatory content on gender and sexual orientation. In certain instances, teachers have been suspended or threatened with lawsuits for engaging in discussions on "inappropriate" sexual matters with their students when discussing sexual and reproductive health issues in the classroom. In other cases, pursuant to abstinence-only and anti-obscenity policies, school districts, courts and legislators have prohibited civil society organizations from meeting in public schools. Such laws and policies perpetuate false and negative stereotypes concerning sexuality, alienate students of different sexual orientations and prevent students from making fully informed decisions regarding their sexual and reproductive health.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 59
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- A starting point for the effective implementation of the Declaration is a firm commitment by States and the United Nations system to its rights and principles that is free from vague assertions that the Declaration is not obligatory. On too many occasions State and other actors attempt to diminish the normative weight of the Declaration by describing it as an instrument that is not "legally binding". As a resolution of the General Assembly, the Declaration by its nature is not, in and of itself, a legally binding instrument, given the authority of the General Assembly under the Charter of the United Nations only to make "recommendations", except in regard to membership, budgetary and administrative matters. But understanding the normative significance and legal obligations related to the Declaration does not end there.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
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. 35
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Related to capacity-building and the strengthening of self-government, indigenous peoples should be provided with the opportunity to participate as equal partners in the development process when both their particular interests and the interests of the larger societies of which they form a part are implicated. In his experience working together with State officials and representatives of private industry, the Special Rapporteur has observed, in general, a lack of consideration of options for indigenous peoples to be real partners in development activities. Real partnership would require indigenous peoples to be able to genuinely influence decisions concerning the development activities, fully participate in their design and implementation and directly benefit from any economic or other benefits that are derived from them.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Disability-inclusive policies 2016, para. 53
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- To the maximum extent possible, States should provide support services and assistive devices and technologies under a community-based approach. That means not only providing relevant services in the community where the person lives, but also ensuring the participation of persons with disabilities in decision -making processes and activities related to the design and provision of those services, as well as recognizing and supporting existing social networks and community resources. In that way, community-based services enable the optimal use of local resources, often with more efficient delivery systems than through other measures. When services are not community-based there is either a drive towards segregation, or those needing such services may have difficulty in accessing them. Additionally, when services are designed in a participatory manner and with the communities in mind, their adequacy and adaptability is increased, which results in responses that are sensitive to geographical, social, economic and cultural issues. In the case of indigenous peoples, such community-based services could be used to avoid the risk of assimilation when providing disability-specific services to indigenous persons with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to self-determination 1996, para. 5
- Document type
- General Comment / Recommendation
- Paragraph text
- In order to respect fully the rights of all peoples within a State, Governments are again called upon to adhere to and implement fully the international human rights instruments and in particular the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Concern for the protection of individual rights without discrimination on racial, ethnic, tribal, religious or other grounds must guide the policies of Governments. In accordance with article 2 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and other relevant international documents, Governments should be sensitive towards the rights of persons belonging to ethnic groups, particularly their right to lead lives of dignity, to preserve their culture, to share equitably in the fruits of national growth and to play their part in the Government of the country of which they are citizens. Also, Governments should consider, within their respective constitutional frameworks, vesting persons belonging to ethnic or linguistic groups comprised of their citizens, where appropriate, with the right to engage in activities which are particularly relevant to the preservation of the identity of such persons or groups.
- Body
- Treaty bodies: CERD - Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 1996
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2015, para. 34
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Paragraph text
- Secondly, children acknowledged that some manifestations of violence have heightened incidence in different regions of the world, where some groups of children are at special risk of violence. In Africa, children with disabilities were considered particularly vulnerable to violence and discrimination in schools. In many cases, early pregnancy and harmful practices, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation, were special concerns. In Asia, trafficking, child labour and violence associated with drugs and alcohol abuse were particularly emphasized. In Latin America and the Caribbean, domestic and family violence ranked the highest, followed by sexual abuse, corporal punishment, armed violence and homicide. Structural violence associated with marginalization, social exclusion and lack of opportunities was a constant concern echoed by the children, and indigenous children and those of African descent were recognized as being particularly at risk of violence in schools and on the streets. In Europe, violence in schools, domestic violence, early pregnancy and child marriage ranked high amongst children's concerns, while children belonging to ethnic minorities, including the Roma community, were considered at particular risk of violence, discrimination and exclusion.
- Body
- SRSG: Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
SRSG on violence against children: Annual report 2012, para. 24b
- Document type
- SRSG report
- Paragraph text
- [To draw on this growing body of knowledge and experience, in June 2012 the Special Representative joined with the Government of Sweden in the organization of an expert consultation on strengthening data and research to protect children from violence. The consultation, held in Sweden, provided a strategic platform for learning from and building upon initiatives promoted by a wide range of partners, including Governments, United Nations agencies, academics, children's rights bodies and institutions, and civil society organizations. The expert consultation put forward the following conclusions and recommendations:] Urgent efforts should be promoted in areas where gaps have been identified, including: (i) the incidence of violence during the life cycle of the child and across risk situations, such as children in care and justice institutions, children living and/or working on the street, children with disabilities, indigenous children and those belonging to minorities; (ii) children's exposure to violence in periods of economic crisis, social instability and natural disaster; (iii) cost-effective interventions for the prevention and early detection of violence and for the recovery and reintegration of child victims and witnesses; (iv) the human and social cost of violence, and return on investment in prevention.
- Body
- SRSG: Special Representative of the Secretary-General on violence against children
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Integrating non-discrimination and equality into the post-2015 development agenda for water, sanitation and hygiene 2012, para. 64
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Pilot analysis carried in the framework of the Working Group on Equity and Non-Discrimination demonstrated that significant disparities exist in water and sanitation access among ethnic, religious, and language minorities in some countries, a finding that emphasizes the need for tailored monitoring of minorities and marginalized groups. For example, in one South Asian country, data show that while open defecation rates for the majority population was 37 per cent, the rate for the minority population was 70 per cent. In another country of that same region, data show that open defecation rates for the population speaking the majority language was 39 per cent, and the rates for minority-speaking populations were significantly higher: between 55 per cent, and 85 per cent among other language speakers. A rights-sensitive analysis uncovers such patterns so that factors leading to these differences can be explored and policy responses can be developed. If the progress of groups that suffer discrimination and marginalization is not specifically monitored, those groups will remain excluded - even among the poorest.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Overview of main observations of five years fact-finding and research 2010, para. 61
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur has received many allegations of excessive violence, during apprehension of a suspect and during demonstrations or public turmoil, including in pre-election and election periods. In many of those cases, people have been peacefully exercising their right to assembly when police or security officers violently dispersed the demonstration by beatings, the use of pepper and tear gas, sound bombs, water cannons, rubber bullets or firearms indiscriminately used on the masses. This all too often has led to persons being injured or killed. Of particular concern are reports of police brutality against vulnerable, disadvantaged groups and minorities. The Special Rapporteur has therefore repeatedly stated that the use of force must be exercised with restraint and only once non-violent means have been exhausted. Law enforcement bodies shall refrain from the use of firearms, except in self-defence or defence of others from an imminent threat of death or serious injury. In this regard, strict rules on the use of force for police and security forces should be applied. Furthermore ways to improve the recording and monitoring of arrests and the control of demonstrations should be explored.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 57
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- In the following paragraphs, the Special Rapporteur highlights issues that have consistently emerged during the course of her work, including country visits, which she considers as requiring greater attention by Governments, the international community and minority groups.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 42
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur welcomed the work of her predecessor relating to the rights and status of members of minorities in all regions that find themselves denied or deprived of citizenship, and has continued to raise awareness on these specific communities.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 76
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Owing to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, specific challenges face minority women and girls affected by humanitarian crises. According to the General Recommendation on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations of the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (see CEDAW/C/GC/30, para. 36), during and after conflict specific groups of women, including, inter alia, internally displaced and refugee women, women of diverse caste, ethnic, national or religious identities, or of other minorities, are at a particular risk of violence, especially sexual violence. These groups of women "are often attacked as symbolic representatives of their community". The Committee has further noted that stateless women and girls face heightened risk of abuse during conflict, owing to, among other factors, their minority status (ibid, para. 60). Minority women may be particularly at risk of sexual and gender-based violence and other forms of violence, including slavery and trafficking. The Special Rapporteur was deeply troubled and saddened when she listened to the testimonies of Yezidi women in Iraq of sexual and gender-based violence committed against them by Daesh, which acts must be fully investigated and their perpetrators prosecuted.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 74
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Rules of general application concerning formalities, such as appropriate dress in the courtroom (removal of headwear for instance), may, if applied without exception, be perceived as means of excluding or denigrating minorities, negatively impacting on their participation, cooperation and attitude towards the court.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities in the criminal justice system 2015, para. 51
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Independent professional bodies for judges, prosecutors and lawyers should ensure that codes of conduct prohibit discrimination against minorities, that complaints of discrimination are promptly and impartially investigated, and that disciplinary proceedings follow whenever complaints are well founded.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- 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. 70
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The issues and concerns of minority women frequently receive a lower priority than the efforts made to ensure minority rights for the group in general. Women belonging to minority groups often struggle within their communities to advocate for their rights, which can be set aside as a result of the prioritization of the general concerns of the group. Barriers to the empowerment of some minority women, including lack of social or economic contact, networks or minority women's support groups, and scarcity of female minority role models have an important impact on the enjoyment by minority women and girls of their human rights. Minority women may hesitate to voice their gender-specific grievances even within their groups, let alone outside them. Minority women's rights could also benefit from increased attention by the broader movement for women's rights. In turn, the women's rights movement would also benefit from the specific experiences of minority women in their overall struggle for equality.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- 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. 53
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- During the course of 2012 the independent expert looks forward to participating in a variety of events to mark the 20th anniversary. Among these events will be a series of sub-regional conferences organized by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and hosted by some of its regional offices. These events will seek to bring together a variety of stakeholders from the regions in question including representatives of national Governments, civil society actors working in the field of minority rights, and regional staff from OHCHR and United Nations specialized agencies. The events will promote awareness of the Declaration and consider specific issues most relevant to minorities in the region in question. Regional events will also provide a valuable opportunity for the independent expert and OHCHR to deliver the recommendations of the Forum on Minority Issues and other relevant recommendations, guidelines and resources to decision makers and stakeholders in a sub-regional context.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph