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E-CONNECT

E-CONNECT No.37

We have issued E-CONNECT No.37 on 14 October, 2021.

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 >>

E-CONNECT No.36

We have issued E-CONNECT No.36 on 27 July, 2021.

Feature story

2021 CERD election – Need for greater geographic diversity and competition in future

On 24 June 2021, States parties to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) renewed half of the membership of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). In a joint communiqué, IMADR, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race & Equality) welcomed the continuation of gender parity in the Committee but raised concerns on the lack of geographical balance in the membership and the lowest number of candidates in the last 10 years. The three organisations encouraged States parties to ensure equitable geographical distribution in the Committee membership and to contribute to a large and strong pool of candidates for future elections. More >>

Accountability for violent and racist police practices against Afro-Brazilians

At the UN High Commissioner’s presentation of the report on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers, IMADR and partner organisations supported the Marielle Franco Institute to address the UN Human Rights Council to draw its attention to the widespread police killings of the black population and impunity in Brazil. We urged Brazil to put in place an independent and impartial complaints mechanism to guarantee accountability and to dedicate resources to address inequalities and racial injustice in the law enforcement. More >>

Include Dalit women in India in the socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic

IMADR supported the International Dalit Solidarity Network (IDSN) and the National Council of Women Leaders to address the Human Rights Council’s panel on gender-equal socioeconomic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of the three organisations, Manjula Pradeep shared the result of the National Family Health Survey (2015-16) to highlight how Dalit women in India are deprived of their independence at home and in society. Dalit women engaging in sanitation work are risking their lives in the pandemic as frontline workers without any social safeguards. We recommended India to recognise Dalit women as both sanitation and frontline workers, to ensure their social protection, and to dedicate a budget to support their socio-economic recovery and independence. More >>

IMADR in the world

Call for participation: “Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Minority Issues – Conflict Prevention and the Protection of the Human Rights of Minorities” (7-8 September, Online)
IMADR is partnering with the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, Dr. Fernand de Varennes, and the Tom Lantos Institute to organise the third Regional Forum on Minority Issues. Individuals involved in minority issues in the region with a clear focus and expertise on the theme of the Forum are invited to participate. More >>

IMADR and its concerns

Growing backlog of State reports at UN human rights treaty bodies
On behalf of the NGO Network on UN Treaty Bodies (TB-Net), IMADR delivered a joint statement at the Human Rights Council to share a concern on a sharp increase in the backlog of State party reports at treaty bodies during the COVID-19 pandemic. We urged the High Commissioner’s office to take steps to resume their in-person meetings from the autumn sessions of 2021. More >>

IMADR at the UN

CERD reviews Lebanon and the Netherlands next month
The Committee will conduct online State reviews of Lebanon and the Netherlands at the upcoming 104th session in August 2021. They will also adopt a list of issues prior to reporting (LOIPR) on India, and assess the follow-up reports of Colombia, El Salvador, Lithuania and Uzbekistan. More >>

Publication

Summary Report – Racism in East Asia (2020)
The report is an outcome document of the last year’s regional webinars which examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialised communities, especially on migrants, in Hong Kong, Japan and the Republic of Korea, and the effectiveness of domestic law in the protection from racial discrimination. More >>