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On the 6th of July, 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 Dalit women shared their struggle in fight against caste-based violence in India On the 21st of June, IMADR co-organised the side event titled “#DalitWomenFight against Caste-Based Violence” at the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The event was supported by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) and the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN). The panel composed of human rights defenders from India and UN independent experts highlighted the need for collective actions in order […]

IMADR statement on “Racial discrimination against non-citizens” at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 38th session of the Human Rights Council Item 9: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on racism 2 July 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU  Thank you Mr. President,  We welcome the first reports of Ms. Tendayi Achiume as the Special Rapporteur on racism. We express our great appreciation to her close engagement with civil society which she has demonstrated since she took up the function last year.  We endorse her timely recommendations to combat racial discrimination in the context of citizenship, nationality and immigration status, […]

On June 21, 2018, the side event titled “#DalitWomenFight against Caste-Based Violence” was organized at the 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council, by the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Minority Rights Group (MRG), Anti-Slavery International, FORUM-ASIA, and Franciscans International (FI). The event was supported by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) and the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN). Mr. John Fisher from HRW moderated the event. Ms. Asha Kowtal, General-Secretary of the All India Dalit Mahila Adhikar Manch (AIDMAM) presented testimonies from victims in India. The panel of experts who responded to the testimonies included Ms. Vrinda […]

IMADR statement on “Human rights defenders and CERD” at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 38th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate – Oral Update by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 19 June 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We thank the High Commissioner for his last oral update to the Human Rights Council. We share his concerns on the growing threat of chauvinistic nationalism which denies the universality of human rights. Such exclusive ideology is often manifested through racism and racial discrimination against indigenous peoples, minorities, migrants, refugees and […]

Together with Anti-Slavery International, FORUM-ASIA, Franciscans International, Human Rights Watch and Minority Rights Group, IMADR is holding a side event on “#DalitWomenFight against Caste-Based Violence” at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council from 12:00, Thursday 21st June at Room XXVII in Palais des Nations. This event is supported by the National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights and the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN). For further information, click on the flyer below.

At its 96th session from 6th to 30th August 2018, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in following 7 countries. Civil society organisations (CSOs) are encouraged to submit information on Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, China (Hong Kong), China (Macau), Cuba, Japan, Latvia, Mauritius and Montenegro.  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:  16 July 2018  Information Note for NGOs  for the submission of reports, accreditation and participation in informal meetings and lunchtime briefings  For States parties’ reports, list of themes and […]

At the 30th meeting of Chairpersons of Human Rights Treaty Bodies (29 May – 1 June) in New York, TB-Net is organising a side event on “Promoting Quality, Independence and Diversity of Treaty Body Membership”  from 13:15 pm, Friday 1st June at Room 8 in the UN Headquarters. The event will be webcasted live via UN WebTV. For further information, click on the flyer below.

The NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies (TB-Net), which IMADR is a founding member of, submitted a joint statement for the 30th meeting of Chairs of the UN human rights treaty bodies. The statement focuses on three of the key issues of the UN human rights mechanism: Follow-up procedures; Quality, Independent and Diverse Treaty Body Membership; and Webcast. Click the image below to read the full submission.

As a member organisation of the NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies (TB-Net), IMADR made a joint written submission to the 30th meeting of Chairs of the UN human rights treaty bodies. The submission aims to promote good practices across different UN human rights treaty bodies with a particular focus on: NGO engagement; common methodology for adoption of general comments and general recommendations; interactive dialogue; non-reporting States; and follow-up procedures on concluding observations. Click the image below to read the full submission.

On the 11th of May, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) concluded its 95th session. At the session, the CERD adopted concluding observations on Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Nepal, Peru, Saudi Arabia and Sweden. *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 . The Committee adopted a decision on the Philippines and a statement on Israel under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure.  The Committee sent a reprisal letter to Russia  concerning the Shor indigenous rights defenders.  _ Kyrgyzstan While acknowledging the State party’s efforts undertaken […]

Prior to the International Symposium on UN Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination in Tokyo on 12 April 2018, IMADR and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) held the International Consultation for the Elimination of Descent- Based Discrimination in Osaka on 9 April. The Consultation was attended by 10 representatives from Dalit civil society in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, leaders of Buraku Liberation League (BLL), the former UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, and a representative from the OHCHR. As an outcome document of the consultation, Dalit and Buraku civil society organisations adopted the “Declaration for the Elimination of Descent-Based Discrimination”. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  […]

On the 4th of April, 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 International Symposium: UN Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination In collaboration with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), IMADR will host the international symposium on “UN Guidance Tool on Descent-Based Discrimination: Key Challenges and Strategic Approaches” on 12th April in Tokyo, Japan. The symposium will bring stakeholders together such as Buraku and Dalit representatives, United Nations, independent expert, academics, parliamentarians, and civil society. More >> NGOs call on governments to enhance follow-up and membership of […]

On the 14th March 2018,  the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and VIS – Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo co-organized the side event on “Circular Migration and Youth” at the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council. Ms. Barbara Terenzi (Coordinator, VIS Human Rights & Advocacy Office) moderated the event and Ms. Michela Vallarino (Vice-President, VIS) delivered the opening remarks. Speakers included Mr. Agostino Sella (President, Don Bosco 2000), Mr. Fousseynou Diallo (Coordinator, Don Bosco 2000 Center), and Mr. Francois Coly (Director, Salesian House). The event was also joined by representatives from various Salesian programs: Leslie Tavares, from the Dominican Republic, Meaza Tesfagiorgis, from […]

IMADR statement on “Transitional justice, impunity and minority rights in Sri Lanka” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  Due to time constraints, the extract of the statement was delivered. ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 37th session of the Human Rights Council Item 2: General Debate on the country reports of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary-General 21 March 2018 Speaker: Ameer Faaiz Thank you Mr President, Madame Deputy High Commissioner, We thank the High Commissioner for his continued commitment to reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. As recent events remind us, without the full attention of the UN Human […]

IMADR statement on “UPR of Sri Lanka” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or downloaded here.  ——— IMADROral Statement: 37thsession of the Human Rights Council Item 6: UPR outcome of Sri Lanka 19 March 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, We welcome the recent appointment of the Commissioners for the Office of Missing Persons (OMP), the first and long-awaited mechanism for transitional justice in Sri Lanka. We call upon the Government of Sri Lanka to take necessary measures to ensure that the OMP can operate independently and effectively. We are gravely concerned that the series of violent attacks against Muslims community that […]

IMADR statement on “UPR of Japan” at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council. Whole text can be read below or download in English  and Japanese .  ——— IMADR Oral Statement: 37th session of the Human Rights Council Item 6: UPR outcome of Japan 19 March 2018 Speaker: Taisuke KOMATSU Thank you Mr. President, IMADR delivers this statement in solidarity with the Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD Net). To call for support of the UPR recommendations concerning the racial discrimination issues, we handed in the appeal to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Kono in this January.[1] We regret that the Government of Japan failed to support the recommendations […]