Racial discrimination against non-citizens (HRC38, 2018, OS)

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. 

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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, intersecting with gender, religion and other grounds. Women with foreign backgrounds are increasingly becoming a target of manifestations of racial discrimination such as racial profiling, hate speech and hate crimes. In this regard, we would like to stress the vital importance of a comprehensive anti-discrimination law which includes the protection of non-citizens regardless of their immigration status. The absence of or the lack of implementation of such law is one of the common key issues raised by civil society representatives at country reviews of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

 Furthermore, we note with concerns that many States fail to put in place an independent national human rights institution or equality body with the mandate and sufficient resources to combat racial discrimination against vulnerable groups including non-citizens. In this regard, we would like to reiterate the importance of the CERD General recommendation No. 17 on the establishment of national institutions. Strengthening of these legal and institutional measures can also contribute to counter the glorification of Nazism which is addressed in her another report.

 We welcome the country visit requests sent by the Special Rapporteur, some of which are pending from the time of her predecessors. We regret that Japan, Malaysia, South Africa and Tunisia have not accepted the request for over 5 years, despite their standing invitation to Special Procedures.

 Lastly, we express our commitment to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur to tackle all forms of racial discrimination through strengthening collaboration and cooperation with rights-holders.

 We thank you.