Newsletter E-CONNECT No.37 is out

On the 14th 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

Regressing trends in accountability for enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka

At the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the  the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence presented his follow-up report on Sri Lanka. Together with Amnesty International and Forum Asia, IMADR raised alarm over a series of negative developments in accountability for enforced disappearances in the country, including the independence and function of the Office on Missing Persons (OMP). We called on the Special Rapporteur and the Human Rights Council to support the resolution adopted in this March that mandated the UN to gather and preserve evidence of human rights violations in Sri Lanka. More >>

Brazil must allow full access of UN expert to examine the state of racial discrimination

At the dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, IMADR delivered a joint statement with Minority Rights Group International and the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race & Equality) that shed light on racial discrimination against Afro-descendent, Afro-LGBTI, quilombola and indigenous peoples in Brazil. We urged Brazil to guarantee the Special Rapporteur unhindered access to information, places and stakeholders during her future country visit that has been postponed since November 2020. More >>

UN report on racial equality in the world and discrimination based on descent

The Human Rights Council Advisory Committee presented its report on racial equality in the world in September. IMADR supported the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) to participate in the dialogue with the Advisory Committee and to encourage them to incorporate international human rights standards against descent-based discrimination in its work. We also stressed that racial equality cannot be achieved without the full implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), and States must comply with their reporting obligations. More >>

IMADR in the world

Call for inputs: Work Plan of the UN Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities
The United Nations Network on Racial Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, that brings together over 20 UN Departments, Agencies, Programmes and Funds, is accepting practical suggestions toward the development of its work plan for the period 2022-2023. Deadline for submissions is 20 October 2021. More >>

IMADR and its concerns

Open appeal to UN Human Rights Council for robust action on Afghanistan
IMADR joined over 50 organisations to call for a Human Rights Council resolution to establish a Fact-Finding Mission or similar independent investigative mechanism on Afghanistan, after its failure to deliver a credible response to the country situation. In October, the Council decided to appoint a special rapporteur on Afganistan. More >>

IMADR at the UN

CERD to hold 105th session
Between November and December, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) will consider the situation of racial discrimination in Chile, Denmark, Singapore, Switzerland and Thailand. They will also adopt lists of issues prior to reporting (LOIPRs) on San Marino and Trinidad and Tobago. More >>

Publication

Submissions: 20th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA)
In response to the call for inputs for her next General Assembly report on the 20th anniversary of the DDPA, IMADR made two submissions to the UN Special Rapporteur on racism, Ms. E. Tendayi Achiume. The submissions focus on the States’ cooperation with the CERD and discrimination based on descent. More >>