Interlinkage between caste and slavery was highlighted at the UN Human Rights Council

Public Statement by Civil Society Organisations on the Occasion of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Chairpersons of the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies 12 June 2025 The undersigned civil society organisations issue this statement at a time of profound crisis of the UN, and the human rights mechanisms in particular. The international human rights treaties are an essential part of the UN’s human rights ecosystem and form the legal backbone of the international human rights system. The work of the Treaty Bodies is crucial in monitoring States parties’ implementation of international human rights treaties and in providing authoritative guidance on the fulfilment of obligations. Treaty Bodies deliver justice to individual victims, […]

From 22 April to 9 May 2025, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) held its 115th session. During the session, CERD reviewed and adopted concluding observations on the reports of Gabon, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritius, the Republic of Korea and Ukraine. Highlights of the session included: Follow-up reports for Croatia, Germany, Morocco, Uruguay and Tajikistan were reviewed. Work was done to develop a joint general comment/recommendation on addressing and eradicating xenophobia and its impact on the rights of migrants, their families and other non-citizens affected by racial discrimination. A half-day general discussion to develop its general recommendation on reparations for the injustices of the transatlantic trade in enslaved […]

To celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (21 March), IMADR and the Japan NGO Network for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ERD-Net) organised the event on 19 March 2025. Approximately 100 people participated, including the general public, members of Parliament and the media.         (Photo: “Act Now! Time to adopt anti-discrimination law in Japan”) ICERD and Japan  In 1995, Japan acceded to ICERD under the following conditions: Without adjusting the domestic legal framework as to support the implementation of the Convention With reservation to Article 4 (a) and (b) on the prohibition of hate speech Without declaring its acceptance of the competence of […]

From 25 November to 13 December 2024, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) held its 114th session.  In this session, the Committee reviewed and adopted concluding observations on the reports of Armenia, Ecuador, Greece, Kenya, Monaco and Saudi Arabia as well as the list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) on Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, and Seychelles. The Committee further adopted the follow-up report for Portugal.  CERD also held joint in-person discussions with the Committee on Migrant Workers to develop a joint general comment/recommendation on addressing and eradicating xenophobia and its impact on the rights of migrants, their families and other non-citizens affected by racial discrimination in […]