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On the 8th of December, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) concluded its 94th session. At the session, the CERD adopted concluding observations on Algeria, Australia, Belarus, Jordan, Serbia and Slovakia. *Recommendations with asterisks [*] are one-year follow-up recommendations. Concluding observations, reports of the State parties and other stakeholders are available at the OHCHR website . You can also watch the video archives of the public meetings with the States parties at UN Web TV . On the 29th of November, the Committee held the Thematic Discussion on Racial Discrimination in Today’s World: Racial profiling, ethnic cleansing and current global issues and challenges .  The Committee adopted a statement on Libya under its Early Warning and Urgent Action […]

IMADR joined the oral statement made by Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) at the 27th special session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— 27th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation of the minority Rohingya Muslim population and other minorities in the Rakhine State of Myanmar Joint-Oral Statement Delivered by R. Iniyan Ilango on behalf of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Conectas Direitos Humanos and International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism Tuesday, 05 December 2017 Mr. President, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) makes this statement jointly with NGO […]

PRESS RELEASE 17th November 2017 The Government of Japan must show its commitment to human rights at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and take measures to improve the human rights situation in the country. All Okinawa Council for Human Rights (AOCHR), the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and Franciscans International urge the Government of Japan to end human rights violations in Okinawa and fully consult with people of Ryukyu/Okinawa based on the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). Japan has entered the third cycle of the UPR in 2017 to review the implementation of the previous UPR recommendations and address outstanding human rights […]

PRESS RELEASE 16 November, 2017 The Government of Japan must bring the recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to effective action against racial discrimination. The International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) urges the Government of Japan to fully cooperate with rights-holders and take swift measures to implement UPR recommendations to protect indigenous peoples, minorities and other vulnerable population from racial discrimination. Since the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council in 2006, this year Japan has entered the 3 cycle of the UPR to review its progress in implementing the previous UPR recommendations. On the 14th of November, the Government of Japan presented its report […]

Summary report is available here  Download the PDF version 

Joint statement by the International Dalit Solidarity Network, Pakistan Dalit Solidarity Network, International Movement Against All Forms of Racism and Discrimination (IMADR), Minority Rights Group International, Anti-Slavery International and FORUM-ASIA. 13 November 2017 As the UN review Pakistan’s human rights record on 13 November, we urge the Government to commit with time bound action plans to end ongoing serious human rights violations against Dalits in Pakistan. Despite general commitments made to this effect at previous UN UPR reviews of Pakistan these have not been implemented and violations such as bonded labour, forced conversions and disappearances, murder and persecution of Dalit rights defenders continue unabated. As a newly elected member of […]

On the 17th of October, we released our new issue of E-CONNECT. If you have not subscribed to our newsletter, you can do it from here! Back number is also available. Feature story Governments must collect data to counter intersecting forms of discrimination against women and girls In September, the UN Human Rights Council held the panel discussion on the impact of racial discrimination on human rights of women and girls. During the debate, IMADR drew the Council’s attention to the lack of data on indigenous and minority women including Dalit and Buraku women. IMADR called on all governments to collect disaggregated data and take measures to counter multiple and intersecting […]

At its 94th session from 20th November to 8th December 2017, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in following 6 countries. Civil society organisations (CSOs) are encouraged to submit information on Algeria, Australia, Belarus, Jordan, Serbia and Slovakia.  The Committee will convene the thematic discussion on “Racial Discrimination Today” from 3 pm on 29th November. If you are a CSO participating in the forthcoming session and wishes to receive practical information, contact us at: geneva[@]imadr.org (remove “[]” when you send e-mail)  Practical Information Deadline for submission of NGO reports: 30th October 2017 Information Note for NGOs  for the submission of reports, accreditation and participation in informal meetings and lunchtime briefings  […]

On the 12th of October, IMADR presented the situation of racial discrimination in Japan at the 28th UPR pre-session organised by UPR Info. It raised a number of human rights concerns namely on: the lack of human rights infrastructure against racial discrimination; racist hate speech; discrimination against minority communities including Buraku and ethnic Koreans; multiple forms of discrimination; and human rights violations in the foreign “Technical Intern Training Program”. While recognising several positive steps taken by the Government of Japan, it called on States to make recommendations specific to racial discrimination at the UPR 28th session in November this year. In the concluding remarks, IMADR stressed that Japan, a Member State of […]

In August 2016, Sri Lanka was reviewed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The Committee identified its recommendations in the following three areas as follow-up recommendations: national human rights institution;  situation of internally displaced persons; and situation of minority women in war affected areas. The Government of Sri Lanka was requested to provide, before September 2017, information on its implementation of those recommendations. In the absence of a follow-up report from the Government, IMADR submitted an alternative report from the civil society perspective to the Committee. The report assesses the Government’s implementation of the follow-up recommendations in order to help the Committee comprehend the current situation and challenges […]

IMADR statement on “Racial discrimination and civil society participation” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th session of the Human Rights Council Item 9: General Debate – Racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related forms of intolerance, follow‑up and implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 26 September 2017 Speaker: Madeleine Cowper Thank you Mr. President, We are deeply concerned by the global increase in manifestations of racial discrimination and xenophobia. As we have repeatedly pointed out at this Council, racist hate crimes, incitements to hatred and violence are often caused by the failure to take […]

IMADR statement on “Data collection to counter intersecting forms of discrimination against women and girls” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th session of the Human Rights Council Panel Discussion on the impact of multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence in the context of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance on the full enjoyment of all human rights by women and girls 25 September 2017 Speaker: Madeleine Cowper Thank you Mr. President, Although the Human Rights Council acknowledged that “many women and girls… are disproportionally affected by aggravated forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia […]

Together with Franciscans International, Human Rights Watch and Minority Rights Group International, IMADR is holding a side event on “Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council from 12:00 pm, Tuesday 26th September at Room XXVII in Palais des Nations. For further information, click on the flyer below.

IMADR statement on “Human rights defenders in Bangladesh and Okinawa, Japan” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th session of the Human Rights Council Item 4: General Debate 19 September 2017 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We would like to draw the Council’s attention to the deteriorating human rights situation in Bangladesh. Odhikar, our member organisation in Bangladesh and human rights defenders working with these groups have been subject to intimidation and harassment by the Government due to their reporting and campaigning against extrajudicial killings, election fraud and other systematic human rights violations taking place […]

IMADR statement on “Hate crimes in USA, Rohingyas in Myanmar and Sri Lanka’s transitional justice” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 36th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate – Oral update by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 12 September 2017 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We express our grave concern regarding the increase of racist manifestations around the world, which is undoubtedly encouraged by the new leadership in the USA. The U.S. President’s failure to condemn the racist violence in Charlottesville in August is interpreted by many as justification […]

IMADR submitted a written statement on “Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka” at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka Sri Lanka has endured consecutive periods of violent insurgency and a 26-year-long armed conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam.[1] This conflict ended in 2009 and was characterised by the killing of civilians, arbitrary arrests and detention of Tamils, widespread torture, extrajudicial executions, and enforced disappearances.[2][3] It has had “devastating consequences at a human, social and institutional level”.[4] According to the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL) Report, many of the […]